The Beauty Within
by Northern-Southern Belle
Summary: Sequel to Born to Be Wild and Crossover with A Roll Of The Dice. Elijah and Selina struggle when Henry does a spell that puts Margaret's essence in Emily's body so that he can save Emily from illness and be in a relationship with Margaret at the same time. They must also cope with Tristan's grief over Emily's death and his insistence that she get a new body.
1. Brought To Life

**Disclaimer: Only plots and Original characters are mine!**

"_Another_ one?" Klaus asked as Elijah beamed with pride. "And people accused _Selina and me _of being too physical with each other!"

"It wasn't like that," Elijah replied. "It was planned. We're gonna have a little boy."

"Are you?" Klaus asked. "I bet you're happy about that."

"Yes, and Selina's much happier now that she doesn't have to wake up sick every morning. Although, and she'd probably slap me if I told her this, those early months of pregnancy are my favorite, because she actually lets me do things for her. I feel useful in a way that I don't the rest of the time because she's so independent." Elijah grinned as he clutched his drink and looked around Enid's. "Oh, well. At least I enjoyed it while it lasted."

"What are we talking about now?" Selina asked as she sucked orange juice through a straw and sat down next to them.

"Just about how I've enjoyed taking care of you while you've been pregnant," Elijah told her as she shifted position to ease the pain in her back from her expanding stomach. "That's all."

"Ah, all right," Selina nodded.

"How's the orange juice?" Klaus asked with a grin.

"Well, it's no rum and Coke, but it's good, I guess," Selina replied, then squirmed uncomfortably.

Elijah noticed the grimace on her face, and said, "Would you like to go home and lie down?"

"Yeah, I think I would," Selina admitted. "My back is just killing me." Then she handed him her drink. "Hold this," she said. "I need to run and pee before we go."

Elijah sighed and grinned at his brother. "Her blunt way of expressing herself is always so refreshing."

"I actually think she's been holding back on her bluntness since she met you," Klaus replied. "She was _much_ more open with me."

"I have no doubt she was," Elijah replied.

"But seriously, though," Klaus continued. "How in the world did you convince her to have another child?"

"She felt I needed a way to occupy my time since Father no longer needs me to hunt with him," Elijah replied. "And it was either expend my energies raising a child or spend hours on end writing my memoirs, that will include sections about my love life with women other than her. And I think it was obvious which one she picked."

"Yes, it is," Klaus replied.

"Funny thing, though," Elijah continued. "I started with the memoirs, writing about some of my time with Katerina. Selina of course read it after I expressly told her not to, and was so overcome with jealousy that she ripped up every single page." He grinned. "That's why I wrote that part, you know. Cause I knew that's exactly what would happen." He chuckled.

"Clever," Klaus replied.

"Speaking of less than pleasant marital situations," Elijah told Klaus after taking a swig of his drink. "Have things improved between you and Amy at all?"

"It's calmed down a bit," Klaus admitted. "We've stopped being violent toward each other at the very least, but she's still indulging in annoying little pranks that make me have to be on my guard. It's nothing too awful, though."

"Well, I suppose as long as it works for both of you," Elijah replied. Selina came back and said, "I'm ready to go, but I can wait until you've finished your drink if you want."

"Thank you," Elijah replied. He finished his drink, left a few dollars on the bar, and then, as they got up to go, Selina caught Klaus' eye. "If Amy isn't still mad at me, tell her that I said 'Hi'."

"I will," Klaus replied as he saluted her with his beer.

* * *

When they reached home, Selina got in a more comfortable outfit and climbed into bed while Elijah rubbed her shoulders and back. "Only four months more," she said. "I just have to keep telling myself that."

"Well, you're handling it like a pro," Elijah told her. "I commend you."

"You should," Selina replied. "Actually, it's not so bad this time around._ Nothing _is as painful or uncomfortable as being pregnant with triplets."

"I have no doubt that's true," Elijah replied. "This'll be a very interesting thing to put in my memoirs."

"Remember what I told you about that," Selina replied. "You can write about all the other women you want just as long as I get a special section about how wonderful _I_ am that's not shared with anyone else."

"I remember, I remember," Elijah replied. "Don't worry."

"All right," Selina nodded with a self-satisfied look. "Now that that's settled, I can take my nap feeling at ease." She shut her eyes, and Elijah kissed her neck, whispering, "Only four more months," into her ear. Then, when he was sure she was asleep and tucked in, he shut iff her lights and went to watch TV until she woke up again.

* * *

Tristan held Emily's hand as they followed her father through the cemetery gates. In her free hand, she had a fistful of wild flowers, and was sniffing and trying not to cry.

"It'll be okay," Tristan told her. "I bet your mom has missed you."

They kept walking until they stopped in front of a grave that read **Leslie Dickinson, beloved wife and mother, RIP.**

Emily's father sighed, removed his hat, and closed his eyes as Emily knelt down and put the flowers in front of the stone. "Hi, Mom," she said quietly. "Tristan and I, we brought these flowers for you. I hope you like them." Then, she noticed her father, who had tears rolling down his cheeks, reach for her hand. Emily took it and gave it a squeeze. "It's okay, Daddy," she said. "I miss Mom too."

Her father smiled and kissed her forehead as Tristan backed away. Emily noticed this and said, "Where are you going?"

"Well," Tristan replied, "this seems like a personal moment between you two, so I'll just go back to the car and wait until you're done."

"Oh, you don't have to do that," Emily replied.

"But I think I should," Tristan replied. He went to the car, and waited. Emily and her father returned a few minutes later.

"It's Mom's birthday today, you know," Emily told him as she wiped her eyes.

"Is it?" Tristan asked.

"Yes," Emily nodded. "And-and thanks for coming with us to do this. I know you didn't have to, and it means a lot."

"No problem," Tristan replied as they left the cemetery. "It was my pleasure. I'll always look out for you. You know that, right?"

"Well, now I do," Emily replied and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"All right," Emily's father said when they were back on the road. "Let's do something fun. Who wants to get ice cream?"

"I do," Emily told him.

"And me too," Tristan replied.

"Well, I guess that makes it unanimous then," her father replied, and they drove to the closest ice cream story and got the biggest cones they could get.

* * *

"Okay," Henry said as he shut off the lights four months later. "I think you'll really like this movie."

"I don't think so," Margaret replied. "It sounds awful."

"Are you kidding?" Henry asked. "It's Frankenstein! He brings a dead guy back to life! We can't even do that with magic!" He paused thoughtfully. "We _can_, actually, but it's not allowed."

"I bet you'd do it if you had a good reason to, though," Margaret said. "Like if I died."

"It's kind of moot for you, though," Henry reminded her. "And me. We can't die. We're special."

"Very true," Margaret nodded and Henry handed her the bowl of popcorn. "Here, have some."

"I don't know," Margaret replied. "It looks kind of messy."

"Oh, come on, Maggie!" Henry replied and began pelting her with popcorn. "Live a little!"

"Okay, I will!" Margaret yelled, throwing up her hands to protect herself. But she was smiling. "Just stop throwing food at me!"

"Why don't you make me?" Henry asked. With a determined look, Margaret began picking up fistfuls of popcorn and throwing them back at Henry. Finally, he grabbed her arm and pulled her into a hug.

"You smell nice," she said. "Your mother buys good shampoo for you."

"Thank you," Henry replied, and kept hold of her.

"You're not letting me go," she observed.

"Well, do you want me to?" Henry asked.

"No," Margaret shook her head. "Not really."

They held onto each other until James came into the room. "I thought you two were gonna watch _Frankenstein_," he told them. "Did you decide not to? Did you think it would be too scary? Your mother thought you might."

"No, it wasn't that we thought it would be too scary," Henry replied. "We just...made a mess with the popcorn and were busy picking it up."

"Oh," James nodded. "Well, good for you." He paused. "Even though you're not scared of it, do you mind if I watch it with you?"

"Sure," Margaret replied. "Go ahead."

"Thank you," James replied. He started the movie and then came to sit on Henry's other side, grabbing a handful of popcorn out of the bowl and eating it.

When it got to the part where Frankenstein and his assistant were in the cemetery picking out body parts for the monster (meaning not very far into the movie at all) Margaret was already making faces and spouting what Henry thought was inappropriate commentary.

"That's so _gross!_" She exclaimed. "Who would want to go into a cemetery and dig up graves to get body parts of dead people?"

"Well, technically your mom is a dead person," Henry replied impatiently. "Now be quiet and watch the movie."

"My mom is not a _dead_ person!" Margaret replied, looking offended. "She's alive and you're crazy!"

"Actually, Henry's technically right, since your mother is a vampire," James replied.

"Where's the phone?" Margaret asked. "I'm gonna ask my mom about this!" Margaret said and stomped off. James and Henry looked at one another, sighed, and then James stopped the movie. Henry followed Margaret into the kitchen and watched her dial her parents' number.

"Daddy?" She said when her father answered the phone. "Is Mom there? I have to ask her a question."

"All right," Elijah replied. "But do it quick. We're kind of busy at the moment." Selina came on the phone a few seconds later, and Margaret could hear her breathing funny. "What's wrong, Mommy?" She asked.

"Nothing," Selina replied. "I'm just gonna probably have your brother soon. What's the problem?"

"Are you dead?" Margaret asked. "Henry says you are because you're a vampire."

"Well, technically yes," Selina replied. "The doctor who turned me gave me poisoned water to take medicine with and it killed me, although not for very long."

"Is Daddy dead too?" Margaret asked.

"No," Selina replied. "He became a vampire cause of a spell put on him, and that spell didn't require him to die first."

"Oh," Margaret replied. "Okay." Then her eyes widened in alarm as her mother let out a cry of pain and ended the call.

"Well, all right, then," Margaret said, turning to Henry. "I guess you and your dad weren't lying about my mom after all."

"I _told_ you," Henry replied. "Now come back and watch the movie, would you?"

"All right," Margaret replied. "I will."

After the movie was over, they got a call from Elijah asking if James and Lenora wouldn't mind keeping Margaret overnight. "She has a new little brother now," Elijah said. "His name is Ethan. And I want to spend the night without distractions just to make sure everything is okay."

"All right," James replied. "We'll take good care of her."

He got off the phone and tuned to Margaret. "You get to spend the night here," he told her. "You have a new little brother and your father wants to stay with your mom alone for the night to make sure she's all right."

"That's okay," Margaret replied. "I don't mind." She looked at Henry. "Do you?"

"No," Henry replied. "Just as long as you promise not to talk through any more movies."


	2. Kiss And Tell

Selina was sitting in the living room with Ethan when Elijah brought Annaliese in. "Is this my little brother?" She asked, peering at him.

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "This is Ethan. Wanna meet him?" She held him out, but Annaliese kept her distance, shook her head, and ran to her room.

"Well, that was an unexpected reaction," Elijah replied. "Should I go and have a talk with her?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "I'll do it." She handed Ethan to Elijah and went to talk to her daughter.

"What's wrong?" She asked, coming to sit next to Annaliese and putting her arms around the crying girl. "Are you upset about the baby?"

"Yes!" Annaliese nodded. "It's bad enough I have to fight Tristan and Margaret for your attention. Now I have to compete with _another_ baby too? Daddy just should have left me at boarding school!"

"I'm sorry you feel that way," Selina told her. "What can I do to make you feel better?"

"Just leave me alone," Annaliese replied. "Please."

"All right," Selina sighed. She went back to tend to Ethan, but before she and Elijah were about to retire for the night, she got a couple of brownies and a glass of milk from the kitchen, put them on a plate, and, plate in hand, went to knock on Annaliese's door.

"Come in," Annaliese called quietly.

"I know you just want to be left alone," Selina told her, coming to sit next to her on the bed. "But I thought I would bring you a snack. Do you want it?"

Annaliese studied the brownies for a bit, and then took them, along with the milk. "Thank you," she said quietly.

"You're welcome," Selina replied, putting her arm around her daughter and kissing her head. "I know this whole 'us having another baby' thing is upsetting you, and I'm not gonna try and pretend like everything is okay, and you're being unreasonable, cause you _have_ gotten the short end of the stick, but if you ever feel like you need to talk to me about anything, all you have to do is call, or come and talk to me, and I'll listen, all right?"

Annaliese nodded. "Thank you, Mom."

"You're welcome," Selina replied. She stayed until Annaliese finished her brownies and drank her milk, then wished her daughter goodnight, tucked her in, and turned off her light.

When she got back to her and Elijah's room, he asked, "Have you been to see Annaliese? Has her attitude improved?"

"Well, she accepted the brownies I brought her and let me into her room," Selina replied. "That's an improvement."

Elijah sighed. "What are you giving her treats for? You shouldn't be rewarding her behavior! She's acting childish!"

Selina sighed. "I know you were human in a time where it was natural for families to have lots of children and for kids not to expect a lot of love and attention from their parents, but times have changed, and I think it's reasonable for Annaliese to feel upset. She's had to fight for our attention with her other siblings her whole life, but then you sent her off to boarding school, and when she returns, you expect her to be over the moon that we had another baby. That's not fair."

"Well, what do you expect me to do?" Elijah asked. "I won't coddle her."

"You never have," Selina replied. "It won't be something she expects. But just...a little regard for her wouldn't hurt you. Ask her about school. Ask her about her friends, and her activities, and do not once, until she's had the time to speak her mind, ask her the question, "What do you think about your new brother'? Can you do that? Is it possible?"

"I could try, I suppose," Elijah replied as Selina got up to go tend to Ethan. "Would you like me to try now?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "Annaliese is probably asleep now. But tomorrow, give it a shot."

* * *

"You know," Lenora told James, "I'm very proud of how you handled Margaret spending the night when Grandma had her baby. I thought I was gonna have to give you a talking to."

"Yes, well, some of the shock has worn off by now," James told her. "But I'm still keeping an eye on both of them. Why do you think I wanted to watch the movie with them? When I came in, they were hugging, for fuck's sake!" He sighed. "It makes me need a drink just thinking about it."

"I think you're worrying for nothing," Lenora replied. "It could be much worse."

"Yeah," James nodded. "It could be like Susanna and Marcel. That's what it could be like."

"That's another case where I think you're worrying way too much," Lenora said. Then she kissed him deeply. "What do you say we go for a swim to help take your mind off things?" She asked.

James sighed. "I don't think it'll work, but it wouldn't hurt."

Lenora grinned, grabbed his hand, and they went out to the small lake by the boat, stripped off their clothes, and swam, having sex on the side of the lake afterward, not realizing that the boat was already occupied by a pair who wouldn't want to know what they were doing.

* * *

"Okay, Maggie," Henry said as she stood behind the helm of the boat. "I'm gonna teach you how to steer this thing."

"What's the point?" Margaret asked. "We're not even in enough water for it to matter!"

"Have a little imagination, will you?" Henry asked irritably. "Or else I'll keelhaul you!"

"Fine, fine," Margaret rolled her eyes. "Now, what do I do?"

"All right," Henry said, putting one arm around her waist to stabilize her. A strand of hair had come out of her hairdo, and he reached up with his free hand to twist it gently around his finger, then shut his eyes as he breathed her in. "Okay, what do I do now? Are you okay, Henry?" Margaret asked, interrupting his thoughts. Sighing, he opened his eyes and tucked her hair back where it belonged. "Grip the helm," he said, and watched with widened as her small, porcelain hands gripped two of the bits of the wheel that stuck out, giving them a squeeze. He drifted off again, imagining what it would be like if she put her hands around his...

"Henry!" Margaret's sharp voice interrupted him. "What's wrong with you? Focus!"

Henry closed his eyes. He_ really _hated being fouteen. He tried to focus and hold onto Margaret while she steered, and it got easier for awhile, but then, he had to stop.

"What's the matter?" Margaret asked, noticing his heavy breathing. "Are you sick?"

"No," Henry shook his head. "I'm not. It's just that you look really pretty, and smell really good, and...can I kiss you?"

"Here? On the boat?" Margaret asked, wide eyed. "No! What if your father catches us? he wouldn't like it."

"But he's not here!" Henry replied. "He won't see! Just a quick one?"

Margaret looked around and sighed. "All right," she said, putting her arms around him. "Just a quick one."

They gave each other a quick peck on the lips, and then Henry's eyes widened as they heard a voice. "What in the hell is going on here?" James looked livid as he clutched a towel around himself.

"We were just...I was teaching Margaret to steer the boat!" Henry exclaimed.

"Well, it looked like you were kissing her!" James replied.

"It was just a little one!" Margaret said. "It was my idea!"

"What are you and Mom doing in towels?" Henry asked his father, trying to change the subject.

"We went for a swim," Lenora said.

"Without bathing suits?" Henry's face twisted. "Well, that's disgusting. We've been in the boat the whole time while you two were in the lake naked? Ewwww!"

"Don't change the subject!" James cried impatiently, although his cheeks colored a little. "You know I don't like the two of you being alone together."

"Only because you know we're gonna be with each other in the future!" Henry shot back as Margaret tried to pull him away, muttering, "Come on, Henry. Let's go inside." Finally, Henry relented and let Margaret pull him away so they could do homework for school.

"Is that boy out of his mind?" James asked Lenora. "I don't know how else to explain it. You would think that with all the girls in the world, he could pick one that _wasn't_ related to him to fall in love with."

"I know it's weird," Lenora nodded. "But I bet it's just a phase. things will change, sooner or later."

"I don't think so!" James replied, his voice rising. "You heard the future! He's gonna be with her!"

"And you know we can't mess with the future, so let's just not worry about it," Lenora told a tense James. "Okay?"

"Fine," James replied testily, all his tension returning. "Whatever."

* * *

The next day at school, Henry decided he wanted to skip English, and went to ask Margaret if she would skip too, and they could meet at their cozy little spot in the stairwell and wait out the hour attached to each other's lips.

He came up behind her as she was pulling her French books out of her locker, and said, "Hey, Maggie. What do you say to going to the stairwell with me? Wanna have a little fun?"

Margaret turned and considered him. "Maybe," she said. "We're not learning anything I don't already know..."

"Good then!" Henry exclaimed and pulled her to himself, kissing her deeply before pulling away with a grin. "I'll whip up our doubles so no one will know we're gone, and meet you in the stairway."

Margaret opened her mouth to reply as he shuffled away, but no words came out, and she just savored the sighed of his butt walking away from her instead.

Once he was gone, she threw her books back in her locker, and ran to the stairwell to wait for Henry. He arrived a few minutes after she did, and immediately took her in his arms to kiss her. "I hope I haven't kept you waiting long," he said with a grin as he ended the kiss."

"No, no you haven't," Margaret replied. "But-but we can't do this for long."

"Why not?" Henry asked. "We have a whole hour!"

"Cause I'm your aunt and it's weird!" She replied. "Do you remember that?"

"I do," Henry nodded. "But I don't really care. It feels too good."

"Well, I _do_," Margaret told him. "I mean it."

"So you want to stop now and toddle off to French like a good girl?" Henry asked, eyebrow raised.

"Well, it's too late now!" Margaret replied, and kissed him hard and deep. "But this is absolutely the last time!"

Henry grinned and backed her up against the wall as his hands went over her body in a shockingly intimate display for someone his age. "All right," he said when they paused for a breath and Margaret looked at him, wide eyed as tingles spread over her body. "This is the last time." They sat in the stairwell til the bell rang, then Henry banished the doubles and the two of them ran to their next classes.


	3. A Little Bit Of Magic

There was two weeks left of school, and flyers advertising end of the year activities were everywhere.

"We should do a magic show!" Henry told Margaret. "I'll do the magic, and you can be my beautiful assistant."

"I'm not sure," Margaret replied. "I was thinking of reading some poetry, and I don't know if they'll let you be in the show twice."

"Sure they will!" Henry replied. "Cause one act will be you doing stuff, and the other act will be you helping _me_ do stuff. Come on, please?"

Margaret gave him a look. "You're lucky it's you," she said. "I wouldn't want to be any other boy's ornamental decoration!"

"You won't just be decoration!" Henry assured her. "People will be genuinely worried for you when I saw you in half."

"Well, oh, goody," Margaret replied. "I can't wait. Will I have to wear a tiny little outfit too?"

"No!" Henry shook his head. Then his eyes swept her legs. "But if you wanted to," he amended, "I wouldn't say you couldn't."

Margaret rolled her eyes. "Of _course_ you'd say that."

"What's wrong?" Henry asked. "I think you're pretty!"

"But I'm smart too!" Margaret reminded him.

"Well, I know that," Henry replied. "So you don't have to wear a tiny little outfit. Do what you want. I don't care."

"Good!" Margaret replied. "But I'll think about it!"

"All right!" Henry yelled back. "But you're still gonna do the show with me, sparkly outfit or not, right?"

"Well, _duh_!" Margaret replied, then looked at the clock. She gave him a quick kiss and said, "I gotta run for biology. See you after. And don't you be skipping your next class!"

"All right, I'll go!" Henry replied. He went to his locker, grabbed his books, and tried to focus, but seeing as how all he could think about was Margaret, that was _very_ difficult.

* * *

After the school day was over, and he went to meet Margaret at her locker, he was grinning.

"What are _you_ so happy about?" She asked.

"I was thinking that I could just zap us both home today, rather than having Grandma come and pick us up. I already called her."

"You do realize what a terrible idea that is, right?" Margaret replied. "If you and I show up at the house together, my father will begin to get suspicious! And I would like to have at least _one_ set of our parents be in the dark."

"Do you honestly think I'm dumb enough to stride up to your father and as good as confess about what we've been doing lately?" Henry asked.

"Well I would _hope_ you wouldn't be!" Margaret replied. "We're treading on thin ice enough as it is, and we have to be careful!"

"Fine," Henry replied. "When I drop you off, your dad won't even see me."

"He better not," Margaret replied. "And when are we gonna have those rehearsals for our act in the talent show? Or are you skilled enough with your magic to just wing it?"

"No, we'll need to practice," Henry replied. "Let's do it at your house with Grandma watching. Your dad will be less likely to be mad that way."

"All right," Margaret nodded. "I'll ask her tonight and see what she says. But I think it'll be okay."

* * *

Elijah saw Annaliese reading and, remembering his promise to Selina, cautiously approached her, as if she were an animal about to bite. "Annaliese?" He said.

She looked up. "I haven't done anything wrong," she said. "I've just been sitting here reading and minding my own business."

Elijah sighed. "I suppose I should have expected that reaction," he said."What reason have I given you to say anything else?"

"No reason," Annaliese replied and shut her book. "Now, what do you want?"

"I-I want to apologize for just bringing you here to 'oooh' and 'ahhhh' about your brother," Elijah replied. "You're my daughter too, and I should be paying _you_ some attention."

"Did Mom tell you to come and talk to me like this?" Annaliese asked flatly.

"Yes," Elijah sighed. "But I agree that it needed to be done. Do I get any points for that?"

"It's a start," Annaliese sighed as she shoved her book away. "Even if you're _still_ making this about yourself more than me. So, what did you want to talk about?"

"I don't know," Elijah shrugged. "You decide."

"Well, I don't know what to say," Annaliese replied. "School is going well. I like it there."

"And what about you and that Peter boy?" Elijah asked. "I hope you're not seeing any more of him."

"No," Annaliese replied. "I've pretty much been staying away from him."

"Good," Elijah nodded. "Cause he's bad for you, you know. I don't want you to end up like your sister and fall in love with someone completely inappropriate just because he's handsome."

Now, Annaliese perked up. "Margaret has done something wrong? Elaborate, please!"

Elijah ran his fingers through his hair. "It's not really something I like to talk about," he said. "And I don't have any concrete evidence yet, but I think...I think your sister is beginning to seriously show affection to Henry."

Annaliese's eyes widened. "You mean 'Magical and related to us' Henry?" She asked.

"Yes, him!" Elijah replied. "I don't know how this could happen. What could I have done wrong?"

"Well, don't worry," Annaliese assured him. "Even if Margaret lets you down, you'll always have me!"

"Well, that's awfully reassuring," Elijah replied. "What are you reading? Do you like books?"

Annaliese handed him the copy of _Oliver Twist_. "I don't read a lot," she said. "But I have _some_ favorite books. Dickens is great."

"You know, I saw him do a reading once," Elijah told her. "I even have an autographed copy of _A Christmas Carol_ somewhere."

"You're kidding!" Annaliese replied. "Where is it? Can I see it?"

"Well, I'll have to look for it, because I haven't thought of it in years and I've accumulated a lot of knickknacks, but when I find it, sure, I'll show it to you," Elijah told her. Then, to his surprise, she hugged him. "Thank you," she said with a grin. "I can't wait."

Elijah then stood up. "I don't want to interrupt your reading, but I've enjoyed our little talk."

"Yeah, me too," Annaliese gave him a small smile. "And with the added bonus that you can now tell mom you talked to me."

Elijah nodded. "That too." He headed to Ethan's room where Selina was feeding him in just a t-shirt and her underwear. She looked up immediately when he entered. "Have you talked to Annaliese yet?" She asked.

"I just finished," Elijah replied. "I have to look for my autographed copy of _A Christmas Carol_. I promised her I'd let her see it. Did you know she likes Dickens?"

"No, I didn't," Selina replied. "But it's good you do." She then paused and cleared her throat. "Listen, Elijah. Margaret and Henry are taking part in their talent show at school and I promised them they could have rehearsals here, under my watchful eye, of course. Is that all right?"

"Well, I don't really have a choice, do I?" Elijah asked. "They can come here and do their practicing, but you better not take your eye off of them for a minute."

"I won't," Selina replied. "Don't worry." She finished feeding Ethan, burped him, and put him back in his bassinet. "All right," she said. "What to do now?"

"How about you put on some pants?" Elijah suggested.

"That's one option," Selina replied, pulling up her shirt to expose her belly button. "Or you could help me undress the rest of the way. Whatever works for you." She took steps toward him and he took her in his arms and kissed her. "Not here," he said when the kiss ended. Selina then picked up the baby monitor. "All right," she said. "Meet you in your office in two minutes!"

"It'll take you two whole minutes?" Elijah asked. "Remember, I don't like to be kept waiting."

"Open the door then," Selina replied. He did, and she zipped out, with him following after. They arrived at the office, locked the door, and stayed in there until Ethan woke up again.

* * *

"Thanks for agreeing to decorate the gym for the talent show with me," Emily thanked Tristan as he blew up yet another balloon and threw it on the floor.

"You're welcome!" Tristan replied and went to dig something out of his backpack. "When I heard we'd be making up a lot of balloons, I bought this," he said and showed it to her. It was a book that told how to make balloon animals. "It came with a little helium tank and everything. So what can I make for you?"

"I don't know," Emily replied with a shrug. "What animal do you know how to make best?"

"I've never actually tried to make _any_," Tristan replied. "You're my first customer."

"Well, how about a dog?" Emily suggested. "Using a purple balloon?"

"All right." Tristan blew up the long balloon with the small helium tank and then tried twisting the balloon as his book instructed him to. It was harder than it looked, and finally, he just drew a face on one of the ends of the long balloon. "Here's a smiling worm!" He proclaimed. "I know it's not what you wanted, but it's the best I can do for now."

"Well, thank you!" Emily laughed. "I love it!"

Just then, Tristan turned at the sound of his name being called. "Wanna see me saw your sister in half, Tristan?" Henry asked with a twinkle in his eye as he and Margaret, fully costumed, came into the gym. The cummerbund of his suit was teal and sparkly, as was her dress.

"Sure!" Tristan replied as Margaret's eyes widened. "You told me that we weren't gonna do that!"

"Would you relax, Maggie?" Henry asked. "Don't you trust me to do it right? I got it all memorized from my magic book and everything. We'll be the most memorable act in the show."

"Oh, all right," Margaret replied, then whispered angrily, "But if you fuck this up and I'm cut in half forever, I'm gonna kill you!"

"You won't be able to cause you'll be dead," Henry replied, trying to ignore the tingles he felt when she swore. "But I won't screw it up, I promise! Now, get up on the stage."

Margaret climbed up on the stage as Henry dragged the magic box and the knives out of the area where the talent show equipment was being stored. Margaret helped him get the chest she would lie in where it was supposed to be, then climbed into it, breathing hard the whole time.

"We practiced this," Henry told her. "And have I screwed it up once?"

"No," Margaret shook her head. "But it would be just my luck that if you _did_ screw up, it would be in front of the whole school."

"Your vote of confidence is touching," Henry said dryly. "Thank you." He then stuck the knives in their slits, which caused Margaret to wince. Then, she shut her eyes and prayed.

"It's done," Henry said after a few seconds. Margaret brought her head up as far as she could, and saw that her legs and feet were wiggling and the lower section of the chest beside her. She felt her panic begin to surge. "All right, so you can do it!" She said. "Now put them back. Put them _back!_"

Henry did so without a hitch, and when Margaret was let out of the chest, and allowed to walk again, she hugged him while Emily and Tristan applauded. "Thank you for not screwing it up!" She said. "But let's get one thing straight: this will be the _only_ time I help you with this trick. I don't think my nerves could take anymore."

"All right," Henry replied. "Point taken. The talent show will be the last time."

* * *

The last time was successful, and since Henry's act was first, Margaret was able to do her poetry reading in one piece.

"That was a good poem," Henry said when he met her as she was coming off the stage.

"Thanks," Margaret replied. "But your magic act was more fun."

"I noticed you weren't hyperventilating as much this time," Henry replied as he took her hand and they walked back to their seats.

"I think it was because I decided to trust you," Margaret replied. "And that helped."

"You can always trust me," Henry replied. "You know that, right?"

"Yeah," Margaret replied, kissing him. "I do."


	4. The Lady And The Rascal

Trying as hard as he could not to start too much trouble about Margaret and Henry before he had proof was very difficult. So difficult, in fact, that it sent Elijah straight to Enid's.

"What can I get for you?" Roxie asked when he sat down on a bar stool. She was openly smirking.

"What's so funny?" Elijah asked.

"Well, it's just unusual to see you in here," Roxie replied. "You and Mom fighting again?"

"No, we're fine," Elijah replied. "My daughter Margaret could possibly be interested in a boy, though."

"Dear me!" Roxie cried, feigning shock with her hand against her heart. "Who does she think she is, a teenage girl? What's this guy like anyway? I bet he's a real badass to get you so worried."

"You have no idea," Elijah replied. "Just give me the biggest glass of alcohol you got."

"Sure," Roxie replied. "Coming right up." She got her uncle a big glass of alcohol as he requested, and then another, and then another, grinning openly as he got more and more hammered.

Just when he'd decided that he'd had enough, After he decided he'd had enough, he got off the bar stool and made his way toward the door just in time to bump into James, who had just entered the bar, and fall down.

"Sorry about that," Elijah mumbled as James helped him to his feet. "I had a bit much to drink."

"Well, that's what bars are for," James replied. "But I don't think you should be walking around outside now in the state you're in. Why don't you sit down with me and have another drink?"

"Sure," Elijah replied. "Okay." James helped him back to the bar and sat him down. "Get him some more," James told Roxie. "He looks like he needs it."

"All right," Roxie replied. "You want some too, James?"

"Yes," James nodded. "Why do you think I came here?"

So Elijah and James were both drinking, and James (who could hold his liquor much better than Elijah could) clapped him on the back, and said, "So what brings you here, mate?"

"My daughter," Elijah replied. "My daughter is in love with a rascal!"

"What sort of a rascal?" James asked, not wanting to give away the fact that he was that particular rascal's father right away. "I'm sort of an expert on rascals."

"It's your son!" Elijah replied and dropped his empty glass on the floor where it shattered, and staring at James with wide eyes. "I mean, I don't have any proof, but I'm pretty sure your son is defiling my daughter!"

That exclamation led to a brief fight between the two men with them taking a few swings at each other before their attitudes totally changed and they were clutching one another and sobbing. "I'm sorry about what my son did to your daughter," James said.

"I'm sure he hasn't done anything yet," Elijah replied. "Well, he better not."

"They're probably at my house now," James replied. "I'll go check for you."

"And if they're doing anything," Elijah said, "Pull them apart!"

"Well, that goes without saying," James replied, as he stumbled from the bar, and in the direction of home. He thought about calling Lenora, but then he remembered that she was gone at her parents' and it would do no good.

* * *

"Lenora!" Helene said, hugging her daughter. "I'm so glad to see you, and I bet your father will be too."

"Well, I figured as much," Lenora replied. "And I know I didn't call or anything, so feel free to kick me out whenever."

"Oh, no!" Helene shook her head. "That's not gonna happen. You're the perfect person to stop by right now."

"Why?" Lenora asked. "What happened? Are you having problems with Felicity again?"

"Not Felicity," Helene shook her head. "Your father."

"Why?" Lenora asked. "What did you say to him?"

"I didn't say anything!" Helene replied. "Liam is attached to Kol and Margot's daughter Regina, which means she comes to visit a lot, which means Kol comes too, which means I have to listen to your father complain at length about how he doesn't want Kol in our house because I used to sleep with him." She sighed and collapsed dramatically on the sofa.

"You know, I would say I don't want to get involved cause I've been in the middle of your drama with Dad my whole life," Lenora replied. "But at this point, it's a tossup between your drama, and James being upset because Henry's interested in a girl, so I'll take the problems I'm familiar with instead of the problems that keep giving me a headache. What can I do to help?"

"Talk to your father, please!" Helene told her. "Tell him he's worried about nothing!"

"Or I could watch Liam while _you_ do that," Lenora replied.

"But I've tried to explain," Helene replied. "And your father won't listen to me!"

Lenora sighed. "Oh, all right!" She said. "I'll do it. But you two really _do _need to learn how to talk to each other about stuff like this, all right?"

"Fine," Helene told her. "Your father is in Liam's room."

"All right," Lenora nodded. And once again, she steeled herself to go face her father. She strode into Liam's room where he and Adrian were building a block tower.

"So, what's going on with you and Mom?" Lenora asked Adrian. "She says you're making trouble for her again."

"Well, do you think its unreasonable for me to dislike your uncle, who was your mother's lover once, being in my house?"

"Well, I thought that when you and Mom called truce, you promised you'd never fuss about anything that happened in that period of time ever again," Lenora pointed out as Liam knocked down the block tower, his blue eyes sparkling. "And now you've broken that vow. Why is it that whenever there's a problem with you two, it always starts with you, Daddy?"

"Me?" Adrian asked, looking offended. "Not me. Her! _She_ starts the problems!"

"Well, yeah, but then you make them worse by causing them to escalate," Lenora replied. "If Mom says nothing is gonna happen between her and Kol again, don't you think you should give her the benefit of the doubt? If you two just keep on fighting, Liam's gonna grow up in just as crappy a home environment as Felicity and I did, and do you want that for him?"

Liam finished his latest tower and handed Lenora the last block. "Put it on top, Nora," he commanded.

"All right," Lenora replied and put the block on the top of the tower. "Do you like it like that, Liam?" She asked him.

He studied it. "Move it over," he said.

Lenora moved it a little to the right. "Is that good?" She asked.

"No," Liam shook his head. "Other way."

"All right." Lenora pushed the top block the other way, Liam looked at it for another moment, and then he knocked the tower over with gusto before smiling at his sister. "Let's build another one!"

"If it's not too much trouble, I think I'll go apologize to your mother while you and Liam build this next block tower," Adrian said. "Maybe take her out for a bit. Will that be a problem?"

"Not at all," Lenora replied as Liam gathered up the blocks. "Just let me call Max and tell him to go pick up Susanna from school, and it'll all be perfect. And Daddy?" Adrian paused at Liam's bedroom door. "What?"

She smiled. "I know it's annoying for you to have Uncle Kol around after what he and Mom did, but you're doing the right thing by not holding it over her head. Thank you."

Adrian nodded. "You're welcome," he replied, and shut the door while Lenora made the call to Max.

* * *

"I don't know if I should be here when your parents are gone," Margaret told Henry.

"Why not?" Henry asked. "We're old enough to be by ourselves. Or with Susanna."

"I don't even think Susanna is here, though," Margaret replied. "Where is she?"

"Susanna's at school," Henry told her. "She'll get back later."

"Oh, all right," Margaret replied. She'd never been alone in a house with a boy before. She sat down on the sofa and turned on the TV, flipping through the channels listlessly.

"So you want to watch TV?" Henry asked.

"I don't know," Margaret shrugged.

"Or we could just kiss," Henry replied. "I know you've said before that it was the last time, but after you said that, you kissed me at the talent show!"

"Well that was because I was showing gratitude that I wasn't dead," Margaret replied.

Henry sat down next to her, and they stared at the TV. Then, just as he put an arm around her shoulders, they heard a voice. "You kids want snacks?" Max asked. "Your parents are still gone, Henry, and your mother warned me that you might bring a little friend over, so I went and bought snacks."

"Hi, Max!" Margaret greeted him. "How are you?"

"Margaret!" Max exclaimed with a grin. "I should have known. Can I get you anything?"

"Sure!" Margaret replied. "I'd like a lemonade, please."

"All right," Max replied, coming right up!" He left and Henry followed him into the kitchen. "I know my dad wants you to spy on Margaret and me," he said. "But I will pay you _money_ to go away."

"I don't think I can do that, Henry," Max replied as he poured Margaret her lemonade. "I have to do what your father asks me."

"But I'm _sort of_ like my father," Henry replied. "And you know what I think? I think you deserve a vacation. How long has it been since you've had a vacation, Max? Specifically one _far_ away from here?"

"I don't think I've had one since I was put here," Max replied.

"Well, I think you should have one, then," Henry replied. "Just pick a place and go. I'm sure my father won't mind. In fact, he'll probably be happy for you."

"How stupid do you think I am?" Max said, giving Henry a look as he went back into the living room to give Margaret her lemonade. "Thank you, Max," she said with a grin.

"You're welcome," Max replied.

"Max does a lot of nice things for us," Henry told Margaret. "Don't you think he deserves a vacation? You know, my grandma is head of the witches' council and I'm sure that if you talked to her, she'd examine your punishment and get you some sort of reprieve after three-hundred years. What do you say?"

"No," Max replied flatly.

"Okay," Henry nodded. "So you won't go forever, but what about for just a little bit? Like an hour or two?"

"Fat chance," Max replied. But just then, the house phone rang and, still keeping one eye on Henry, whom he dragged out by his ear, Max went to answer it. "Hello?" He said.

"Max, it's Lenora," Lenora replied. "I'm gonna be at my parents' for awhile, and James is still otherwise occupied, so would you mind going and picking up Susanna from school, please? I'd really appreciate it."

"But that would mean leaving Henry and Margaret here at the castle by themselves," Max replied. "And are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Well, we really don't have any other choice," Lenora replied. "Just tell them that I want them to behave themselves before you go."

"All right," Max sighed. "If that's what you want."

"Thank you, Max," Lenora replied, and then ended the call. Max hung up the phone and then turned to Henry and Margaret. "It seems like you'll get your wish," he told Henry. "At least for a little bit. Because both of your parents are otherwise occupied, I have to go pick up your sister from school. I won't be gone for long, but your mother specifically requested that I remind you to behave yourself until I return."

"Yeah, sure," Henry replied. "I'll behave. Just go. Can't keep Susanna waiting, can we?"

Max gave Henry a long look, wished Margaret good luck, and then headed out with a slam of the portal door.

"Now," Henry said, turning to Margaret and sitting down next to her on the sofa. "Where were we before Max interrupted?"

Margaret smiled. "You had your arm around my shoulder."

"Oh, right," Henry nodded and put it there again. "Now, let's get this out in the open," he said. "Are you gonna let me kiss you, or are you gonna lecture me about how Max said not to instead?"

"Well..." Margaret thought. "Unbutton your shirt," she said after taking time to think. "Then I'll decide."

"I have an even better idea," Henry replied and went to get a deck of cards, shuffling them and setting them down on the coffee table. "Let's play a game."

"What, like Go Fish?" Margaret asked. "What does that have to do with you taking off your shirt?"

"Not Go Fish!" Henry replied with a rapid shake of his head. "Strip poker!"

"I don't know how to play that," Margaret replied. "But as long as it involves you having no shirt, I'll do it!"

Henry grinned. "You _do_ realize you'll have to take off your clothes too, right?" He asked with a smirk.

"That's okay," Margaret replied. "I can do that."

"Are you sure?" Henry asked.

"Yes!" Margaret replied. "Just shuffle the damn cards already!"

Henry laughed, shuffled the cards once more and dealt them, giving her a quick rundown of all the hands of poker. When it seemed like she knew what she was doing, they played the first hand. "Two pair," Henry said, laying his cards down. "What do you have?"

"Full house," Margaret replied triumphantly, setting her cards down. "Off with your shirt, sir!"

Henry grinned and took it off. They kept playing until Henry was in his boxers and his socks, and Margaret was in her slip. They'd paused the game to make out, and were now making out with Henry on top of Margaret as she sat against the sofa, her normally neat hair out of its pins. Then, they tensed when they heard a key turn in the front door. After they pulled apart, they got up and went to grab their clothes, and start putting them on, but to their relief, it wasn't Max or Lenora who stumbled through the door. It was James, and he seemed really, _really_ drunk. He peered at them as they held their clothes in front of their scantily clad bodies. "What's going on here?" He slurred.

"Nothing," Henry said to his father. "This is just a drunken hallucination. Go on to bed now. You need your rest!"

James nodded and stumbled off, and then once he was gone, both kids let out their breaths. "Thank god he's drunk!" Margaret replied. "He could have caught us, and then what would we have said?"

"I don't know," Henry replied, putting his pants on. "But I'm sure we could have thought of something if we'd have had to."


	5. Stepping Back

"I can't believe you went drinking without me!" Selina told Elijah. "You could've at least said something!"

"Why?" Elijah asked, his hand on his forehead. He was feeling too sick to get out of bed. "I couldn't," he told her. "You know you can't drink."

"Even so," Selina replied, "I could have stopped you from getting into a bar fight! Or at least have cheered you on and gotten really hot because of it. Why do I always have to miss stuff like this?"

"Because you're being a good mother and taking care of our son," Elijah replied. "You should be proud!" He tried to get up, but Selina urged him back down. "Unless you have to go throw up, I suggest you don't leave this bed," she said. "You don't look well at all."

"Oh, don't be silly!" Elijah replied. "I'm a man. I'm perfectly capable of holding my liquor."

"What's it gonna take to keep you in bed?" Selina asked. "Do I have to strip down and sit on you? Cause I will."

Elijah grinned, even through his misery. "There's an idea," he said.

"I wasn't putting forth any ideas," Selina replied. "I was sarcastically telling you you have to stay in bed."

"Well, that's not fair, is it?" Elijah asked. "You can't just say you're gonna strip down to your underwear, get my hopes up, and then take it back!"

"I'll tell you what," Selina said. "Once you're not hung over anymore, then I'll see what I can do for you, but now, I'm gonna go call the bakery and tell them that I won't be there cause you're not well, and I have to take care of Ethan too."

"About the bakery," Elijah asked, "How long have you owned it?"

"I think I got it around the time Lucy left for Europe," Selina replied. "That was awhile ago, I know."

"Well, aren't you worried?" Elijah asked. "I think you've been lucky that no one has wondered why you haven't aged a day after all these years."

Selina's jaw dropped a little. She'd enjoyed owning her own business and filling the masses with sugary treats so much that she hadn't considered the repercussions of her vampirism. "Oh, my god!" She exclaimed. "I'm gonna have to quit, aren't I?" She asked. "Unless I want to be outed and have angry villagers chasing after me with pitchforks and stuff, like they did to my uncle when they realized he was a werewolf. Why didn't you warn me about this sooner?!"

"Don't yell," Elijah pleaded. "Please don't yell."

"Oh, sorry," Selina replied. "I'll go check on Ethan and let you rest."

"I'll try," Elijah promised. "But between that and this nonsense with Henry and Margaret, I don't know if I'll be able to."

"You need to stop thinking about that," Selina replied. "You'll just make yourself sicker than you already are."

"All right, all right, I'll rest!" Elijah replied. "But you promised me a striptease afterward, so don't you renege on that!"

"Okay, okay," Selina replied. She left the room, shutting the door behind her, and then going to attend to Ethan. She went between taking care of him, and taking care of Elijah, until finally, her husband seemed to be back to his old self.

"And just what was it that got you so worked up that you needed to go drinking?" Selina asked. "I mean, I _think_ I know, but I want you to tell me."

"It's Henry and Margaret," Elijah said through his teeth. "James told me at the bar that there was reason to believe that Henry was defiling our daughter!"

"'Defiling' might be a strong word," Selina said.

"Oh, I don't_ think_ so!" Elijah replied, standing up. "I'm gonna talk to Margaret about this! Then I'm sending her to her room until she's thirty!"

"And while you're at it, why don't you just get her a chastity belt and a chaperone?" Selina replied sarcastically.

"What a positive suggestion!" Elijah exclaimed. "I wasn't expecting you to side with me on this!"

"I wasn't siding with you on anything," Selina replied. "I was being sarcastic, and you're bordering on ridiculous now. I think I need to fix this." And it was then that she stripped down, standing in front of him in just her underwear before sashaying over to kiss him. "Let's not think about Margaret and Henry now," she said, her voice breathy. "Let's think about _us."_ She kissed him and pushed him onto the bed, before boosting herself on top of him. "What do you say, you stallion, you?"

"I don't know if it'll work," Elijah replied as she unzipped his pants and slipped her hand in. "But it-" He paused and let out a satisfied moan as she leaned down to kiss him. "It's worth a shot."

They finished and then Selina went and brought Margaret home from school. She had confessed to her mother what had happened between her and Henry in the car, assuring her that they hadn't gone all the way.

"I have to tell Daddy too, don't I?" Margaret asked. "He's gonna hate me! I'll be sent to boarding school just like Annaliese!"

"No, you won't," Selina replied as they got inside. Tristan had gone home with Emily, so that's why he wasn't with them. He was determined to master balloon making and he felt he did it better when Emily was around. "I'll talk to him before you do, and you won't be sent to boarding school."

"I don't know what I was thinking," Margaret replied. "It was all just so _stupid._ I know better than that!"

"Honey, you're fourteen!" Selina replied. "Give yourself a break! As long as nothing happened, and you're very aware at your age that nothing should, you're fine.. But just in case, as I've done with every daughter I've ever had, we can take you to get your birth control. It's better to be safe than sorry."

"And you're not mad at me?" Margaret asked.

"I'm a little _surprised_," Selina replied. "But I understand. I've been with more than one guy who was hot, and the chemistry was there, but my mother didn't approve. Of course, she got revenge on me being with an unsuitable man by setting me up with someone else the second my first guy went off to fight in the Civil War, but we had sex the day he shipped out and I got pregnant, so I guess I got the last laugh on that one." She smiled. "Hell, I'm a _terrible_ example, aren't I?"

"You're all right," Margaret replied, taking Selina's hand. "And thank you for not making such a big deal about this like I know Daddy probably will."

"Well, as long as you know not to make strip poker at fourteen when you're not on birth control, and even then a habit, what is there for me to make a big deal about?" Selina asked. "And I'll talk to your dad, I promise."

"All right," Margaret nodded. "Thank you, Mom." She followed Selina inside and headed straight for her room, while Selina went to see Elijah. "I brought Margaret home," she said.

"Good," Elijah nodded. "I'll have a word with her, then."

"No," Selina shook her head. "It'll be more than one word, and you'll probably end up hurting your relationship with her. And considering she's one of the few of our children that you actually get along with, do you want to risk the relationship?"

"So you're basically telling me that she _has_ been defiled?" Elijah asked.

"No, she hasn't!" Selina replied. "She told me that she and Henry _were_ playing strip poker, but the farthest it got was her slip, and his boxers, and all they did was make out after that. There was no defiling."

"There better _not _have been!" Elijah replied. It looked as if smoke was coming out of his nostrils.

"There wasn't," Selina repeated. "And _since_ there wasn't, why don't you give her the benefit of the doubt and not yell at her about this, huh? She's a kid, we all make mistakes, and it seems like she's learned from this one."

Elijah gave her a long look. "Are you _positive_ that she seems to understand the ramifications of her actions?" He asked.

"Yes," Selina nodded. "I'm sure."

"Well," Elijah sighed. "Then I guess...I guess that since up until now, Margaret has been a very good girl, if you say she's learned her lesson, I'll let it go this time. But_ if_ it happens again, I'm gonna say something."

"Thank you," Selina replied and gave him a big kiss.

The rest of the evening went by quietly, and Margaret was surprised that her father was treating her kindly and not saying a word like she thought he would. Her mother _must've_ told him. Or maybe she hadn't. Anyway, Margaret was too grateful to look a gift horse in the mouth, and just went with it, until, that night, she had trouble sleeping. She _had_ to tell her father what had happened between her and Henry. It was only right. She got out of bed and walked around, finding Elijah in the kitchen. "What are you doing up, Daddy?" She asked, rubbing her eyes.

"Probably thinking about the same thing you are," Elijah replied.

"Yeah," Margaret replied. "I have something I need to say. Even if it means that you'll send me to boarding school, I think I should be honest with you: the other day, Henry and I...we played strip poker while Max was gone picking up Susanna. Nothing happened, though, I promise. When James came home and found us, I was in my slip and he was in his boxers, and we were just kissing. I know it could have led to something more, though, and I'm lucky that it didn't. I also understand that it wasn't the best decision to make, and I won't do it again for a long time."

"Thank you for being honest with me," Elijah nodded. "I respect that. I admit I _was_ disappointed when I first found out what you'd done and with whom, but, as your mother pointed out, you and I get along much better than a lot of your brothers and sisters, and it wouldn't be good to ruin such a nice relationship by letting myself get too angry about a first offense. And you seem to have learned your lesson."

"Oh, I have," Margaret replied. "I'm gonna slow things down with Henry from now on. Maybe step away from him a bit until I'm older."

"That's a very intelligent decision," Elijah replied, ruffling Margaret's hair. "Good girl."

Margaret yawned. "Thank you, Daddy," she said. "I think I'll be getting back to bed now."

"All right," Elijah replied, and gave her a long hug. "Goodnight, darling."

"Goodnight," Margaret replied. "I love you, Daddy."

Elijah smiled and stood up. "I love you too." She headed off to bed, and Elijah stayed in the kitchen a bit longer before going to bed himself, his mind much more at ease than it had been before.

* * *

"Henry," James said to his son, after a few days of getting up his courage. "I think you and I should talk."

"What about?" Henry asked easily.

"A few days ago, I came home from a day of drinking, and let's say that I wasn't at my best," James said.

"You were drunk," Henry nodded. "I remember."

"Well, when I was drunk," James replied, "I could swear I stumbled across you and Margaret in little clothing and playing cards. You told me it was a hallucination, but it wasn't really, was it?"

"That depends," Henry replied. "How much trouble would I be in if I said that it wasn't?"

"I KNEW it wasn't!" James cried. "For fuck's sake, Henry! You're only fourteen, and so is Margaret! What the hell are you doing?"

"Probably nothing worse than you did at my age," Henry replied. "Plus, we weren't gonna go any farther than what you saw. We're not stupid."

James sighed. "I know that you can be overcome when you're with a pretty girl, and feelings can make you do things, but if you're not careful, it could lead you to trouble."

"You mean me getting Margaret pregnant?" Henry asked. "Like you did with Mom when she was just a little older than me?"

James blinked. "You _know_ about that?" He asked. "How?"

"Mom told me," Henry replied. "When she was giving me the same lecture you're about to."

"Look, I know that I'm probably the last person who should be giving you a lecture like this," James replied. "Given my own extensive past with women. But I just...I don't want you to make the mistakes I did."

"Did _you_ ever get any woman pregnant?" Henry asked. "Well, besides Mom, I mean?"

"I don't know," James replied. "I probably did, but it's not like I ever came back to the women to check. You're young, Henry. I want you to be able to have adventures and see the world, and that's much harder to do if you're taking care of a child. I've seen the future. I _know_ that somehow, some way, you and Margaret are gonna end up together."

"We are?" Henry asked. "That's cool." He grinned.

"I suppose you think it would be," James replied. "It's good thing her father doesn't know yet, though. Anyway, now that I've told you this, promise me you'll be more careful from now on, all right? Maybe even step away from Margaret for a bit if you can, and get to know _other_ girls for the time being."

"All right," Henry nodded. "I think I can try that. I don't want to risk getting Margaret in trouble."

"You're a good boy, Henry," James replied. "Better than I was at your age."

"Thanks, Dad," Henry replied. "I don't know about that, but I'll _try_ to be better, anyway. For Margaret's sake. I just hope her dad wasn't too hard on her."

* * *

After she and Adrian worked out this latest issue with him and Kol, Helene promised that she would take Liam to Kol and Margot's to see Regina, instead of Regina coming to them.

"I'm sorry about always coming to you," Helene apologized to Margot.

"It's all right," Margot replied as they watched Liam and Regina play. "But can I ask what's going on with Adrian that he doesn't want us to come over?"

"Well, if only _you_ came over, Margot, I'm sure it would be fine, but he and Kol...they don't mix. Or at least Adrian doesn't think they do," Helene replied.

"Why?" Margot asked.

"You might kill me for this, but..." Helene sighed. "A LONG time ago, Adrian and I were having a fight, and in a moment of truce, we headed to New Orleans and caused a bunch of trouble there, but then I had a change of heart and sided with the witches against Adrian, and when I was doing that, Kol and I...we sort of had an affair. That led to him nearly killing my daughters so he could have me all to himself, Adrian getting daggered, and things between Adrian and Kol never being good again ever."

After hearing this, Margot yelled Kol's name.

"Yeah?" He asked when he came in.

"Did you have an affair with Helene a long time ago?" Margot asked.

"Yes," Kol replied. "But as you said, it was a_ long _time ago."

"Don't worry, I won't fuss," Margot replied. "I'm no innocent either. I just wanted some confirmation."

"All right," Kol nodded. "Good." He looked at Helene. "You should have seen Margot out hunting the other night. It was amazing."

"Nah, I didn't do so good," Margot replied. "I was okay. If I had done well, you wouldn't have had to compel the woman to forget before she ran away."

"Well, not everyone is perfect their first time," Kol replied. "You'll get it eventually."

"Yeah," Margot smiled. "I guess I will."

"And the hunting?" Helene asked. "It wasn't...it wasn't hard, was it? Adrian has wanted to take me for a long time, but I've never let him cause the thought of killing people..." she shuddered.

"Tell Adrian that you only want to kill burglars or other bad people," Margot replied. "That's what I told Kol, and I didn't feel bad at all."

"So true," Kol replied. "You just jumped right in, didn't you?"

"As you would have, if I hadn't been there," Margot replied. "It would have been a double catch for you, both the purse snatcher _and_ the victim."

"Yes," Kol sighed, thinking about what that scenario would have been like. "You've made me soft, Margot. The things I do for you. Or don't do."

Margot leaned against him and Kol ran his fingers through her red hair. As Helene watched them, an idea planted in her mind. And she knew when she told it to Adrian, it would drive him crazy...in a good way.

* * *

"Adrian!" Helene called when she walked Liam through the door, clutching his tiny hand tightly.

"What?" He asked. "How was Liam's playdate with Regina?"

"It was fun, Daddy!" Liam called back. Helene picked him up and brought him to his room for quiet time, and then went to see her husband.

"I talked with Kol and Margot while I was at their house," she said. "And they told me some stuff that got me thinking."

"Whatever it is," Adrian replied, "I don't feel ready to go and visit them with you yet."

"Oh, I know," Helene replied. "It was nothing about _that_. It's that, well, Kol took Margot on her first actual hunt and apparently it went well."

"Well, isn't that nice?" Adrian asked. "What about it?"

"They said it went okay, and that Margot did well, since the person she fed from was a purse snatcher," Helene replied. "And I was thinking that maybe I wouldn't mind if you took _me_ hunting."

Hearing this, Adrian choked and started coughing, Helene pounded on his back, and when he could speak again, he met her eyes. "Are you serious about this?" He asked. "Cause please don't bring something like this up if you're not serious about it."

"I am," Helene nodded. "I'm not screwing around with you this time. Even though I'm not a vampire anymore, I think I should come with you. I might be able to handle you and Liam going hunting if I'm used to seeing it myself."

"All right," Adrian replied, although he still couldn't believe what she was proposing. "If you're serious, why don't we go the day after tomorrow?"

"I don't think we should wait," Helene said. "If we wait, I'll chicken out. Let's do it tonight."

"All right," Adrian nodded. "Tonight it is, then."


	6. The Miracle Cure

"Have either your mom or dad yelled at you about us playing strip poker the other day?" Henry asked Margaret over the phone. "I'm sorry if they did. It was_ my _bad idea."

"You don't have to feel bad," Margaret assured him. "Nothing happened, after all."

"But it _could _have," Henry replied. "And I don't want to get you in trouble."

"Well, thank you," Margaret replied. "You're so sweet."

Henry flushed a little. "I try to be," he said. "So_ has _your dad said anything about it?"

"We talked," Margaret replied. "And everything is fine. I think it's a big relief."

"Me too," Henry replied. "Again, I'm sorry if I get you into trouble."

"That's okay," Margaret replied. "I can handle my father. I'll be fine. You don't have to worry."

* * *

Despite Margaret's promise that she'd be able to handle Elijah, whatever she did didn't strike Henry as successful, and they ended up spending the next five years on their own, only giving each other the occasional passing glance in the school hallway. Henry was okay with that for a time, especially after he made a rumor be spread around about his supposed sexual prowess (even though the only woman who would ever have any actual knowledge of that was Margaret herself.) However, Margaret seemed to take it seriously and, even after they got out of school, she was still hanging around with other guys, most often a dark-haired, dark-eyed guy who was the anti-Henry. Henry never saw her kiss this guy, but whenever she knew Henry was around, she'd come by cuddle against him right in his sight. Finally, one day, when the three of them were eating at the same fast food place, Henry put his half-eaten burger down and strode over to the pair. "I'm Henry," he told his competition. "I'm a friend of Margaret's. Who are you?"

"Adam," the stranger replied, reaching his hand out to shake. Henry shook it grudgingly. "You know," he continued, brushing some lint off his preppy sweater, "Margaret mentioned she knew a Henry. If I'd have known it was you, I would have come over to introduce myself sooner."

"It's okay," Henry replied. "I'm not offended. I promise."

"Good," Margaret replied. "Now, don't you have a lunch to eat? I'm sure your burger is getting cold."

Henry started to walk away, but then he turned around and magicked Margaret's chair out from under her so she fell right on her butt. "Hey!" She yelled. "What was _that_ for?"

"I thought it would be the best way to get your attention," he said, pulling her to her feet while Adam stood up, his face white with outrage.

"Apologize to her," he said. "That wasn't very nice!"

"Oh, lay off," Henry replied dismissively. "She's fine. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to borrow your girlfriend for a minute or two." He then took Margaret by her arm, and led her off to the little side area where the bathrooms and telephone were.

"Who the hell is this guy?" He asked her angrily. "You and I barely talk for five years, and here you are with a new boyfriend? Don't you think I deserve an explanation?"

"No, I don't!" Margaret replied. "Henry, we came _very_ close to just screwing things up for ourselves completely. This separation is the best thing that could have happened. You get to sleep with all the girls you want, and I get a stable, sensitive man who makes my father happy. It's a win for both of us."

"You're _still_ hung up on those rumors about me and all the girls?" Henry asked, dumbfounded. "But those were _years_ ago, and they were all lies I made up! I didn't really have a harem of girls waiting to fuck me. There's only one person who will be able to do that, and that's _you_!"

"Well, it's a shame your ego was more important than you being honest with me," Margaret replied and showed him her hand, which had a good-sized diamond ring on it. "Cause it's too late for us now. Adam and I are engaged."

"Excuse me?" Henry replied, dumbfounded. "No! I refuse to accept that!"

"You have to!" Margaret replied. "We don't have any other choice!"

"That's bullshit, Maggie, and you know it," Henry replied, and took her in his arms, pulling her close enough so that their breath mingled. "Do you...do you _really _want to marry him? Why are you doing this? What about _us_?"

"You know there can't be an _us,_ Henry!" Margaret said, but she didn't try to escape from his grasp. "We're related and there's no way we can be together."

"What if I could think of a way?" Henry asked. "Then would you forget about this stupid engagement, and actually allow yourself to be happy?"

Margaret gave him a long look and sighed. "I-I suppose that if you found a way, then yes, I would break the engagement. But it's just not possible."

"Don't give up now, Maggie," Henry replied. "And to help you not lose hope..." He paused and gave her a big kiss. She froze, but then relaxed against his body, her fingers mussing his hair as he pushed her back against the wall, their hips pushing into each other. Then, it seemed, as quickly as it had begun, the kiss ended. "I love you, Maggie," Henry said. "Do you love me too? Do you trust me to fix things for us?"

"Yes," Margaret sighed. "I don't know how you'll pull it off, but I hope you will. Good luck, Henry!"

* * *

It was a beautiful, sunny day out, and Selina decided that she, Elijah, and Ethan should go out for a picnic, along with Laura, Gregory, and their families.

"That sounds like a great idea," Elijah replied. "Should we pick up food along the way, or..?"

"We could," Selina nodded. "Or," she said, indicating a couple of coolers. "I could just bring the stuff I've already made."

"So _that's_ what you were doing in the kitchen," Elijah replied. "Something to occupy yourself while the bakery is made over before the grand re-opening?"

"Yeah," Selina chuckled. "From Sweet Emotions to Vampire Bites." She chuckled. "I'm such a genius." She handed Elijah the cooler. "Take this out to the car, would you? I'll go call for Ethan." Elijah nodded and headed out while Selina called for their son.

"Coming!" He called. He scooted down the steps, and then went to stand in front of his mother. "I'm ready!" He proclaimed.

"What about Clementine?" Selina asked. "Do you want to bring her?"

"Oh, yeah!" Ethan nodded and ran upstairs, coming back a few minutes later with a small Raggedy Anne doll that he'd named Clementine. He took it everywhere.

"All right," Elijah said, coming back in. "I have the coolers all set. Did you get Ethan?"

"Yes," Selina replied, holding up Ethan's arm. "Here he is!"

Elijah's gaze slid to the doll Ethan held. "Do you_ have _to bring the doll?" he groaned, turning his gaze to his son as Ethan gripped the doll tighter."Can't there be one trip where it doesn't come with you?"

"No!" Ethan replied. "She comes!"

Elijah was still frowning. Selina grabbed his arm and took him to a corner. "Jut let it go," she said. "Let him bring the doll. What would it hurt?"

"He's a boy, Selina!" Elijah replied. "And boys shouldn't be so attached to dolls like that. They should be able to handle things on their own! And it makes it even worse that it's a _girl_ doll that brings him comfort. Why can't he play with action figures, like other boys?"

"He's not the only one in this house that relies on a girl for comfort," Selina replied, taking Elijah in her arms. "You do too...unless you want to start sleeping by yourself, because that's what 'real men' do."

"No, I never said that," Elijah replied. "You're completely twisting my words."

"Let him bring the doll," Selina replied against Elijah's ear. "And don't you say a word about it, or else you'll be sleeping alone."

"But I'm just trying to look out for him," Elijah replied. "What's so wrong with that?"

"You're ridiculing him for something that makes him happy," Selina replied. "_That_ is what's wrong with that. Now enough of this, let's go! Laura and Gregory are probably there already!"

"All right," Elijah said, resignation in his voice. They headed to the car, and Elijah didn't say another word about Ethan and Clementine.

* * *

Selina was right about them being late. When they arrived at the park, Laura and Edward were there, and so were Katherine and Gregory. Elizabeth and Charlie were chasing each other around and giggling like little kids, even though they were nine and ten years old. "I caught you, Lizzie!" Charlie yelled all of a sudden, tapping Elizabeth's shoulder gently.

"Awww!" Elizabeth replied with a pout. "Now the game is over!"

"You can play one more round before we eat," Gregory told her.

"All right," Elizabeth replied, cheering up.

"Does Elizabeth like to be chased too?" Elijah asked Katherine. "It seems like it."

"That's why I decided to let her wear her play clothes," Katherine replied, indicating Elizabeth's shorts and t-shirt. "I didn't want to risk her getting grass stains on one of her dresses."

"A wise decision," Elijah replied and tugged on his tie.

"Something _you_ didn't consider," Katherine observed. "Still the same suit and tie as always."

"Well, _I_ don't plan on getting any grass stains," Elijah replied and sat down at one of the picnic tables to watch everyone.

"Hey!" Selina called as she dragged a cooler toward the picnic tables. "Could I maybe have some help here, please, Elijah?"

"Oh!" Elijah turned and scrambled to his feet. "Of course!" He took the cooler and put it on the table, then went back to the car with Selina to help her get the other one. They set out the food, and then everyone filled their plates. Afterward, Laura took her lunch and went to go sit by her mother.

"I'm ready to talk to you about the thing I hinted at on the phone the other night," she said.

"All right," Selina replied. "What's the matter? Is something wrong?"

"No, it's just that...Edward and I have been talking about what we're gonna do regarding the whole aging issue between us," Laura replied. "I mean, I know I have forever, but Edward doesn't, not unless I turn him. And once I turn him, we can't have any more children. We're thinking one more, regardless of its sex, and then I turn him."

"It's a good thing to think about," Selina replied. "Does Edward _want_ to be turned?"

"Well, he knows he's gonna have to be if we're gonna be together forever," Laura replied. "But I told him there wasn't any rush. Hell, I've seen some of his family pictures, and the men he's related to hold onto their looks so well. He could be like, forty, forty-five, and he'd _still_ be a hottie."

"Well, it's really up to the two of you," Selina replied. "I'm sure whatever you choose will be wonderful. Charlie seems really close to Elizabeth."

"I know," Laura nodded. "Good thing she's adopted, or it would be _really_ creepy, what with them being related and all. Speaking of which, how's Margaret handling the engagement? Well, or has she been sneaking around trying to see Henry?"

"No, she's been staying away from him," Selina replied. "She really seems to like Adam, or at least tolerates him for your father's sake. It's nice to have familial harmony, but I have to say, I don't like seeing your sister give up the man that makes her happy just to please your father, even if her relationship with Henry is a bit...complicated."

"I agree," Laura replied. "I mean, all you have to do is look at the two of them together and you can see that Margaret just tolerates him. Just because Dad got lucky with me and Edward didn't mean his matchmaking abilities work for everyone."

"But she's gonna go through with the wedding," Selina sighed. "I know it."

"Well, hopefully, something will come along to put some sense in her," Laura replied.

"We can only hope," Selina replied.

"What are we talking about?" Elijah asked, pouncing on them.

"Nothing," Selina and Laura replied at the same time.

Just as the food got eaten and the leftovers were being packed up, clouds rolled in, and the family all headed to their cars and drove home.

"Well, look at that," Selina said as she parked. "It's Tristan's car. This is a surprise." They headed inside and found Tristan sitting on the sofa and crying. "What's wrong?" Selina asked, hugging him, while Ethan offered his brother Clementine to cuddle with.

"It's-it's Emily," Tristan replied when he could get his breath. "We were doing a birthday party today, you know, I was making balloon animals for the kids and all, and then she just...she just passed out. She's not been feeling well for some time now, but she wouldn't let me give her blood or take her to the doctor. So they got her to the hospital and that's when...that's when they told us that...that she has a brain tumor. It's a hard one to treat and she doesn't have long to live."

"Oh, sweetie, I'm_ sorry_!" Selina replied, tearing up almost as much as her son. Emily had been the one to suggest the name change for the bakery, once Tristan had told her about what he was, and what his family were. She'd taken it surprisingly well, reacting with no fear at all. The only thing she'd done was make Tristan promise he wouldn't turn her, and he had promised.

"I just came to tell you," he said, sniffling. "I have to get back to the hospital now, to give her father a break. He's nearly dead himself, poor guy."

"You do that," Selina nodded. "And if her father or you, or she need anything from us, you just let us know!"

"I will," Tristan replied, standing up and grabbing his coat.

"Why don't I drive you?" Elijah offered. "I don't want you to get in a crash."

"I'll be fine," Tristan replied. "But thank you."

"All right," Elijah said. "If you're sure."

Tristan nodded, and then told his parents goodbye, before driving to the hospital, where he met Emily's father and begged him to go home, before going to sit on Emily's bed, taking her hand. "Glioblastoma," Emily said. She looked exhausted.

"What?" Tristan asked.

"Glioblastoma," Emily repeated. "It's what I have. Funny thing is, it's found more often in men, fifty years and older. The doctors were surprised when they realized what it was."

"You remember that I can fix this, right?" Tristan replied.

"Yeah," Emily nodded. "I know you can. I know it's selfish of me to say I don't want you to when you and Daddy are suffering, but..."

Just then, the door opened and Henry came in, holding a bouquet of daisies. "I just heard," he said. "Am I-am I interrupting?"

"No," Emily shook her head. "You're not. Come in, Henry. Those flowers are beautiful."

Henry came and magicked up a vase with the flowers in it on her bedside table. "There you go," he said. "All nice and pretty."

"Thank you," Emily replied.

"You're gonna beat this, you know," Henry told her. "Tristan can help you."

"She-she doesn't want me to," Tristan replied. "And I-I have to respect that."

Henry gave Emily a long, considering look, and then peered at Tristan, tilting his head toward the door. "Come and walk with me," he said to Margaret's brother. "You don't mind, do you, Emily? You probably need your rest, anyway."

"Go ahead," Emily replied.

So Tristan followed Henry into the hall, and Henry said, "How long does she have?"

"Four and a half months," Tristan replied. "Not long at all."

"I could save her," Henry said. "And it wouldn't even involve turning her into a vampire. In fact, this thing that I could do, it would benefit _both_ of us."

"Will Emily get hurt?" Tristan asked.

"No, she shouldn't," Henry shook his head.

"And it's not turning her into a vampire?" Tristan asked. "Are you _sure_ about that?"

"Yes, I'm sure," Henry replied. "I really think this thing will be the best for all of us in the long run."

"Well, you'll have to run it by Emily first, whatever it is," Tristan replied. "I'm not making a decision whether she lives or dies. It's not my place."

"Of course I'll talk to her!" Henry said. "But really, there's no downside here."

"I hope not," Tristan replied. "And you better not be screwing with me, cause I don't think I can take it."

"I'm not," Henry replied. "I promise. How about you go down and have some Jell-o or something in the cafeteria while I talk to Emily?"

"All right," Tristan replied. "But don't wear her out. She's had a long day. Her body can only handle so much in the state it's in."

He headed off, and Henry replied quietly, "And that is_ exactly _why I'm gonna get her another body."


	7. There's Gotta Be More To Life

"Are you all right?" James asked Henry. "You've seemed a bit listless for awhile now. You can tell your mother or me what's wrong if you want."

"I can't shake being sad about Emily," Henry replied. "Tristan says she's not gonna live very long, and that she's told him she doesn't want him to turn her into a vampire to save her."

"Well, that's a shame," Lenora replied. "Really. I know she was a good friend to you." Lenora paused, her eyes narrowed. "You're not gonna try and turn her against her wishes, are you?"

"No," Henry replied. "I won't."

"Good for you," Lenora replied. "I know it will be hard for you to see her go, but it's for the best."

"Yeah," Henry nodded. "I guess. Between Emily being sick and Margaret being engaged, I've had a bad week."

"Margaret's engaged?" James asked. "How could you get engaged and not tell us?"

"_I'm_ not engaged to Margaret," Henry replied. "She's marrying some loser named Adam that her dad set her up with."

James looked at Lenora. "But what about the future?" He asked, his eyes wide. "It said they were together in the future!"

"I know," Lenora nodded. "And I'm not mentally prepared to find out how yet. Henry probably does something selfish, though. You heard how Margaret was yelling at him."

"Now, that's not fair for you to suspect the worst of me, Mom!" Henry replied, feeling a little hurt. "You're supposed to support me!"

"I can't all the time," Lenora replied, pushing her short hair out of her eyes. She'd had it cut and dyed dark brown for the wedding. "I know you too well. I know it's hard thinking of Margaret being with someone else, but if it makes her happy, you should support her. If it doesn't, everything will work itself out in the end."

"All right," Henry sighed. "I'll let her come to me. And she will. Cause let me tell you, she is _not _happy!"

* * *

"I'm so excited about you and Adam getting married," Elijah told Margaret. "I knew you'd like him."

"He's all right," Margaret replied. "Thank you for helping me out with the Henry issue, Daddy. It never would have worked out between Henry and me."

"No, it wouldn't have," Elijah replied. "So, have you talked about where you and Adam are going on your honeymoon?"

" Adam thinks Paris," Margaret replied.

"Yes," Elijah replied. "Now, I know I didn't ask your opinion, but...here are the invitations I sent out. What do you think?"

Margaret looked at the words "Margaret Mikaelson and Adam McCoy along with their parents invite you to..." and began to feel sick to her stomach. "What's the matter?" Elijah asked as she began shaking.

"I'm fine," Margaret replied. "I just...I need to lie down."

"All right," Elijah nodded. "Feel better." She got up to leave, then, once she was out of her father's sight, she ran to find Henry.

* * *

"What the hell is the matter?" Henry asked when he opened the door of the house he'd made up for himself and saw Margaret wheezing and retching on the other side.

"Sorry," she replied, straightening up. "I just, I needed to see you!"

"You wanna see _me_?" Henry asked. "Why don't you go talk to your fiance?"

"Because he's making me sick!" Margaret replied. "I thought I could go through with the wedding, but my father has had invitations made up already, I saw my name next to Adam's, and damn it, it just looked so_ wrong_!"

"Would you like to come in and talk?" Henry asked.

"No, no talking," Margaret replied, and kissed him. Henry held back for a little bit, but then put his arms around her and let her pilot him toward the sofa. She then pushed him down on it and put her lips back on his as she unzipped his pants and tried to get his shirt off.

Henry closed his eyes and let out a pleased moan as she stroked him, but after he came, something hit him. "No!" He cried, sitting up. "Stop! We can't, not yet."

"Why?" Margaret asked.

"Cause we're so close to being able to fix things so that they're perfect," he said. "Do you want to risk something going wrong before then?"

"Nothing will go wrong!" Margaret replied. "I take pills now, remember?"

Henry sighed. "This is as hard for me as it is for you, _believe me,_" he said. "But I would feel better if we waited."

"Waited for what?" Margaret asked. "Henry, I'm gonna be married in four-ish months! It's a nightmare! We don't have a lot of time!"

"I have everything under control," Henry assured Margaret. "Just trust me, will you?"

"Fine," Margaret replied, then got up from the sofa and headed toward the door.

"Where are you going?" Henry asked.

"Home," Margaret replied.

"Why?" Henry asked. "Just because I said we couldn't have sex doesn't mean we can't keep kissing."

"Oh, I wouldn't want to be the cause of any discomfort for you that you've already told me won't be able to be fixed right now," Margaret replied. "But like you say, four months isn't the longest wait in the world, right?"

"I guess," Henry replied, his mouth twisting. This had _not_ gone the way he wanted.

"All right then," Margaret replied. "I'll see you in four months."

"But that's such a long time!" Henry replied.

"Well, I can't be spending time with a man who isn't my fiance so close to my wedding!" Margaret replied. "It wouldn't be right, would it?"

"No," Henry said dryly as Margaret twisted the doorknob. "That would be just terrible."

* * *

He didn't know how, but Henry managed to make it through the next four months. It had been difficult, though. The only thing that had kept him going as he watched Emily deal with a brain tumor that just kept getting worse and worse was the idea that he was going to save her.

On the morning of Margaret's wedding to Adam, Lenora gave Henry a speculative look over her coffee cup. "Is it safe to assume you won't be going to Adam and Margaret's wedding today, even though you've been invited?"

"Oh, I'm going," Henry replied. "There's not a chance I'd miss it, even though I bet her dad doesn't want me there."

"Just don't cause any trouble, all right?" Lenora warned him. "Things are gonna be crazy enough as it is."

"You wound me, Mom!" Henry replied. "You really do. I'll behave myself. I promise."

"Good boy," Lenora replied, and then got up to go dress and help James with his suit.

* * *

As Lenora had predicted, things were crazy at Selina and Elijah's, since practically everyone and their brother that Elijah was related to came for the wedding. The first to arrive was the biggest problem: Annaliese came with Peter, the vampire who had been on Elijah's watch list since Annaliese was a child, on her arm, and even though he was wearing a suit and greeted Selina politely before she left to finish frosting the wedding cake, Elijah still demanded he be thrown out.

"Why should he be?" Annaliese yelled. "Daddy, he's my _date_!"

"Oh, he most certainly is _not!" _Elijah yelled while Peter smirked. "You should have told me that you were bringing him."

"Then you would have just told me I couldn't," Annaliese replied. "And why? Would it ruin perfect Margaret's wedding that you probably want more than she does, anyway?"

"Oh, that is just not true!" Elijah replied. "Unlike you, your sister knows the difference between a suitable match and an unsuitable one, and has chosen accordingly."

"Well, he's _my_ choice!" Annaliese said. "Whether you like it or not!"

"What's going on out here?" Selina asked, holding a frosting covered knife in her hand. "Elijah, which one of our children are you being unnecessarily harsh with now?" When she saw, Selina sighed. "Sorry about this, Peter," she apologized and told Elijah to come with her to the kitchen. "Stop," she told him. "Just cut it out. This is the first time we've seen Annaliese in who knows how long, so why do you have to start a fight with her?"

"You _did_ see the man she brought as her date, didn't you?" Elijah asked, eyes narrowed.

"I did," Selina nodded. "Of course. And I have to admit I'm not the happiest about it either, but she's an adult. If he's the man she wants to be with, then so be it."

"Well, she's never coming through our doorway again once the wedding's over," Elijah replied.

"Yes, well, with you behaving the way you are, I doubt she'll want to, so it's a win-win situation for both of you," Selina replied.

Just then, another worry of Elijah's appeared as Ethan poked his head in the kitchen. "Can I come in?" He asked.

"Sure," Selina replied. "Has Toby's mom come yet?"

"Yes," Ethan replied, coming into the kitchen. He was holding his friend Toby by the hand. "Here he is."

"All right," Selina replied with a smile. "You two have fun now, and try not to get too messy. It's not long until the wedding starts."

"Thank you, Mrs. Mikaelson," Toby replied, pushing his sandy hair out of his eyes. Then he and Ethan ran off, still holding hands. Selina turned to face Elijah, who was red in the face and breathing hard. "What's the problem _now_?" She asked.

"He-Ethan was holding hands with that boy," Elijah replied.

"So what?" Selina asked.

"It-it's not right," Elijah said.

"Oh, come _on_!" Selina replied. "Are you telling me that you've never been with a guy in a thousand years of being alive? I know Klaus has, cause I heard the stories from Alistair, and Anna and I have done rounds at lesbian bars in the past (that's why I had a hunch that her marriage to that guy wouldn't work out), and even I have. But you've honestly never...batted for the other team?"

"No!" Elijah snapped.

Selina sighed. "You might be worrying for nothing," she said. "This could just be a phase. And even if it's not, today is _not_ the day to obsess over it, all right? Now, I'm gonna go find one of the witches we have here and ask them to zap the cake the the cooler at the venue while I go change my dress, all right? In the mean time, find some way to occupy yourself that doesn't involve antagonizing any more of our children."

Elijah rolled his eyes and stomped off. He didn't know who to talk to. It would have been Niklaus, but he and Amy had called and said that some emergency had come up that made them unable to attend the wedding.

He finally sat on a sofa in the living room, and tried to block out all the noise. "You're looking a little down, brother," Kol said. "Need a drink?"

"Yes," Elijah replied. "And talk to me, Kol. Niklaus isn't here, but I suppose you'll do. What do you think the emergency was that prevented him and Amy from coming?"

"I don't know," Kol replied. "You'd think I would, given that I'm with Amy's sister, but we haven't heard a thing. Margot is beginning to be concerned."

"About Klaus and Amy?" Margot asked. "Definitely. I need to know what's going on!"

"I'm sure they'll let us know in good time," Kol replied. "And if they don't, we'll just invite ourselves over and find out that way."

Margot nodded. "That _is_ always an option."

"And in case you're wondering why Father never bothers with you anymore, Elijah," Kol said, "It's cause he's become interested in Regina instead. They're pals, as a matter of fact."

"Regina and Father?" Elijah asked, eyes widening. "Have you completely lost your mind, letting him near her?"

"I was worried at first too," Margot said. "But as it turned out, all the worrying was for nothing."

"Yes," Kol replied. "And if we're not worried, brother, you don't have to be."

"You _would_ be crazy enough to let our father bond with your child," Elijah scoffed.

Before Kol could respond, Laura came upon them. "Margaret needs you in her room, Daddy," she said.

"All right," Elijah replied. He went into Margaret's room and gasped as she turned around. She was already in her dress, even if it was unzipped and her hair was down. "How do I look?" She asked.

Elijah smiled as he zipped her up. "You look beautiful," he said.

Looking at her father's happy, trusting face, as he took her in his arms, Margaret began to feel guilty about asking Henry to do whatever he planned to do to get her out of the wedding. Then she shut her eyes, pictured Henry without a shirt, and felt much better. "Is it time to go yet?" She asked.

"It won't be long now," Elijah replied. "Hopefully. And we're meeting Adam at the hotel, right?"

"Yeah," Margaret nodded. "That's right."

"Well, if you're ready," Elijah replied, "We best get a move on, then. I don't know how much more banal chatter this family can take."

It took some coordinating, but eventually, everyone got in their cars and drove to the hotel where the wedding was taking place. Everyone took their seats, and Laura went with Margaret into the dressing room to do her hair.

It was while that was being done that Henry materialized in Adam's dressing room, studied his outfit, and sent him home while taking on his appearance. Then, he waited for the ceremony to begin, going down the aisle and standing with Adam's groomsmen while waiting for Margaret to appear.

When the music began, and Margaret showed up and began walking toward him in her beautiful dress and veil, Henry felt his jaw drop, and tears begin to fall down his cheeks. She was _so_ beautiful. He hated the fact that he couldn't be with her as she was now. But it couldn't be. He wiped the tears aside as she reached him, and noticed as Elijah let her go and he lifted her veil, she was crying too.

"I'm scared," she whispered. He reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze. They got through the ceremony without incident, and their kiss was quick and almost clinical. It was _not_ the kiss of two people in love, and as Henry led Margaret out to the waiting limo afterward while people shouted congratulations at them, she acted like she was being taken to an execution rather than a honeymoon.

As the car drove away, he asked her, "Can I ask what's wrong?"

"Okay," Margaret sniffled. "I'm gonna level with you, Adam. I don't love you. I only married you to please my father. And before we do anything tonight, I want an annulment." She shook her head. "I was actually hoping that Henry would show up to get me out of this, but he never did, even though he _promised."_

"Well," Henry replied, turning back to himself while Margaret let out a shocked shriek. "I couldn't very well show up looking like myself, could I? Your father probably would have had me thrown out!"

"But-but-but..." Margaret stuttered. "If _you're_ who I married, then where's Adam?"

Henry smiled. "Safe at home in bed with no memory of the fact that you two were ever engaged," he grinned.

Margaret let out a sigh of relief and then punched Henry's arm. "You could have told me that was the plan! You had me scared half to death, you know."

"Sorry," Henry replied. "And now, I have one more thing to apologize for..." He hit her with some magic that made her fall asleep, then ordered the limo to go to the hospital. They had to hurry. According to Tristan (who'd spent the day at the hospital rather than attending the wedding) Emily was going downhill fast.

Once the car parked, Henry zapped himself and the unconscious Margaret into Emily's room, laying her next to Emily's sleeping, and illness-ravaged body. He did the spell to switch them, then zapped himself and Margaret out before anyone noticed, putting her on the ship (which he'd commandeered from his parents' house and kept under a cloaking spell in his backyard), and bringing the boat out to sea. He tucked her in bed, then went to look out at the peaceful water while he waited for Margaret to wake up again. Cause he knew that despite his good intentions, once she was awake, things wouldn't be peaceful _at all._


	8. Full Of Good Intentions

It was a shriek that brought Henry in from outside. He ran back in to the room where he'd left Margaret, leaving the door slightly ajar. "Good morning, Maggie," he said, trying to keep his tone light, asking himself why he'd not had sex with her when she'd first offered. Cause he wasn't gonna get any now.

"Why the hell is it that when I look in the mirror, I see Emily's face?" Margaret shouted. "Henry, what the fuck have you done? This is _awful_!"

"I tell you, Maggie," Henry said, covering his face with his hands. Now that Margaret's vampire essence was in Emily's body, it had healed rapidly. "You're really blowing things out of proportion! It's not that bad!"

"Not that bad?" Margaret shouted, her voice shaking. "Henry, you put me in Emily's body for fuck's sake! Why did you _do _that?"

"Two reasons," Henry said. "One, she was dying and I thought putting her in another body would save her, and two, having you in Emily's body means we can be together without having weird looking children like those Habsburgs you read to me about. We're not related anymore!" He grinned and took her in his arms. "Say another bad word, would you? It really gets me hot!"

"No!" Margaret shook her head and pushed him away. "And don't touch me, either!"

"Why are you so mad?" Henry asked. "I thought you'd be happy!"

"Happy?" Margaret asked, her jaw dropping a little. "Why did you think I would be happy? Why, of all the people whose bodies you could have stuck me in, did you pick Emily? Did you have the hots for her, and this is your way to have sex with her even though she's with my brother?"

"Well, of course not!" Henry replied, frowning. "It's _you_ I want to sleep with, not Emily! How is that not obvious to you?"

"Well, I won't do it!" Margaret replied. "Not as long as you look at me and see Emily's face."

"How do you expect me to fix that?" Henry asked.

"There has to be some way in your little bag of tricks," Margaret replied. "Find it, and find it quick, or you'll never sleep with anyone ever again!"

"Fine," Henry said, his eyes narrowed. "I'll be able to fix this, just let me think. And you're wrecking what could have been two good weeks of sex for us with no interruptions. Everyone thinks you're on your honeymoon with Adam the Idiot."

"All right," Margaret sighed irritably. "That's enough! Start thinking about how you're gonna fix this. But don't take forever, okay?"

* * *

"Did you see Henry at the wedding?" James asked Lenora.

"No," Lenora shook her head. "He said he was coming, but I guess he changed his mind. Where do you think he went?"

James froze. "Remember when you and I went to see Henry's future, and we found him and Maggie on a boat yelling at each other? Granted we don't know _when _that takes place, but what if it's _now_? I mean, he asked me if he could borrow the ship a long time ago, but he never told me why."

"You don't think Henry would be stupid enough to steal Margaret away from her own wedding and take her out to sea, do you?" Lenora asked. "Does he think we won't be able to catch him?"

"Well, once we figure out whether or not that's a valid hypothesis, we will go after him and have a talk with him," James said. "Maybe this was a future we should have nipped in the bud."

"Well, hindsight is 20/20," Lenora sighed. "How about you go look for the ship, and _I'll_ tell Grandma and Uncle Elijah about this? I think they should know."

"All right," James nodded. "You do that. I don't know how long I'll be gone, but when I return, I'll have two fugitives with me." He sighed. "Thank god I put a tracking device on the ship so I'll always know where it is."

"Oh?" Lenora asked, eyebrow raised. "And just where _is_ the thing that lets you track the tracking device?"

"On my bedside table," James replied. "You can't miss it.

"Oh, is _that_ what that thing is? I always thought it was a weird little TV that never worked." Lenora grinned.

"Well, since Henry's got the ship on the move, it should be working now," James replied. "When the ship was still, there was no need for the device to work. I'll just make note of the coordinates, and then be on my way."

"All right!" Lenora called after him. "Be careful!" She then sighed and did her best to get up the courage she would need to call Selina and Elijah and tell them just how their daughter's honeymoon was going.

* * *

"We need to talk," Selina told Elijah as she strode into his office.

Elijah stood up and approached her. "And would 'talk' be a euphemism, darling?" He asked with a grin. "Why don't you come sit on my lap?"

"No, not right now," Selina replied. "I'm serious." She said on the side of the desk opposite him and said, "When Margaret gets back from her honeymoon, I want you to tell her that she should get Adam to sign annulment papers."

"But why?" Elijah asked. "Everything went so well with her and Adam! They're perfect for each other!"

"No," Selina shook her head. "They aren't. She doesn't like him and he deserves better. I know you like being the king of the matchmakers, but how can you be so pleased with this match that it blinds you to the fact that it's not what's right for Margaret? Didn't you see that she looked like she wanted to die as she was walking down the aisle?"

"Well, what would the alternative to Adam be?" Elijah asked. "And _don't_ suggest Henry."

"It's not my place to suggest anyone," Selina replied, leaning forward. "That should be up to our daughter, don't you think?"

Elijah scoffed. "Letting children have control over something like this is a bad idea. They need a strong, firm hand guiding them during decisions like this so they don't pick someone stupid and regret that decision for the rest of their lives. I'm doing Margaret a favor!"

Selina's eyes narrowed. "Oh, my god," she said. "You sound like my mother. Always thinking that being the parent gave her the right to control every aspect of my life and put me in the worst sort of hell imaginable."

"Well, if you look at the men you chose without her input, I can see why she was concerned," Elijah replied. "Myself excepted, of course. I never fought my father because I knew that any decision he made was for my own good. That's why I had his respect. I would have been a complete fool to risk his displeasure by being with someone unacceptable to him just to satisfy my carnal urges. It's a lesson Margaret did well to learn."

"_Oh, yes_," Selina nodded. "You obeyed your father in every possible way, _especially_ when it came to who you loved. That's why Mikael and I get along so well, and you nearly wet yourself getting me on that boat out of Paris cause you were afraid your father would find you defying him any minute. Elijah, Margaret has been a good girl her whole life. She has tripped over herself to do everything that would make you happy just so you would love her and notice her. Now she's finally doing something to make _herself_ happy by being with someone she loves, even if you don't approve of them, and I think, given _our_ past, you should give her the benefit of the doubt this once. And Ethan too, but that's another issue for another time."

Before Elijah could respond, Selina heard the phone ringing through the open door. Ethan came in a few minutes later, holding it out. "Lenora to talk to you, Mommy," he said. He was grasping Clementine in his free hand.

"Thank you, sweetie," Selina said and took the phone from him. "Why don't you talk to your daddy while I talk to Lenora, okay?"

"All right!" Ethan grinned and came in to sit in the seat Selina had just vacated while Elijah squirmed uncomfortably, unsure of what to say. Selina grinned and closed the door behind her, putting the phone to her ear. "Lenora?" She asked. "What's going on?"

"I'm about to tell you something, and you probably won't like to hear it, but...it's quite possible that it wasn't her fiance that Margaret married, but Henry in disguise, and now she and him are on a ship in the middle of the sea," Lenora replied. "But don't worry. James has gone looking for them and I bet he's found them already. They should be back home any minute."

"Well, that's a shame," Selina replied. "Margaret likes Henry and she should be allowed to be with him. I don't know how it would work properly, but Henry is determined enough that I bet he would find a way."

"You're not more freaked out about this?" Lenora asked in amazement.

"No," Selina replied. "_I'm_ fine. It's your uncle who has the issues."

"Good," Lenora replied. "Don't tell him then. I'll call you again when I know more, all right?"

"All right," Selina replied. "Thanks for letting me know, Lenora."

"You're welcome," Lenora replied and ended the call. Selina put the phone back and sat down on the sofa, wondering what Margaret and Henry were doing now.

* * *

"All ashore that's going ashore!" James called out. "Henry, I know you're here! You and Margaret come out here now, so we can talk!"

A few seconds later, Margaret showed her face. "It's about time you showed up!" She said. "Have you come to take us home?"

"I'm sorry, Emily," James replied, feeling confused when he saw her. "I was expecting Margaret. Aren't you too ill to be walking around on a ship?"

"If I _was_ Emily, then I would be," Margaret nodded as Henry emerged, looking at his feet. "However, I'm Margaret. Your son switched my body with Emily's just so he could have sex with me, and I want to go home!"

"Hey!" Henry cried, looking offended. "Don't act as if you don't have the hots for me too. After all, who was it that unzipped my pants and felt me up when she was engaged to another man, hmmm?"

"Don't try to change the subject, Henry," James said. "I've come to take you home so you can right this situation. Or, at the very least, explain to Emily's family and Tristan what's happened to her. They have to be finding it strange."

"Fine," Henry sighed. "We'll come. Margaret's bitching isn't making for such a good time anyway."

Margaret's jaw dropped. "You have some nerve!" She cried and slapped him. "Acting like a victim after what you've done to me!"

"And I never heard a 'Thank you' for getting you out of a marriage that was gonna make you have to spend the rest of your life with a man you didn't love," Henry replied.

"Well, it would have been better than being with a man selfish enough to want to have sex with me when I'm in the body of another woman!" Margaret said. "The least you could do is make it so I don't have to look at Emily's stupid face in the mirror every day!"

"Fine," Henry replied. "I was gonna do it, don't get me wrong. I would have liked more time, but when we get back to my house, I'll do the spells for you, _all right?_"

"I'm _not_ going home with you," Margaret replied. "What do you think I am, an idiot?"

"Fine," Henry said through his teeth as James zapped them off the ship and took Margaret home. "I'll start with Emily then. _She'll_ probably be more cooperative anyway!"

* * *

Tristan went to the hospital with a sinking heart and entered Emily's room, nearly passing out when he saw who was in her bed. "Margaret?" He asked. "What are you doing in Emily's room? Where'd she go?"

"Margaret?" Emily asked with a cough. "I'm Emily, remember? Did you forget who you're talking to? I know I don't look my best, but I'm still me." She then reacted in shock as she realized she was able to sit up. "Oh, my god!" She cried. "Tristan, look! I'm strong enough to sit up! Go get my father and tell him!"

"I-I don't know if we should tell your father about this," Tristan replied. He then helped Emily out of her bed and led her to the bathroom so she could look in the mirror and see what he saw.

"Why-why do I look like your sister?" Emily asked, putting her arms around him. "Tristan, what's happened to me?"

"I don't know," Tristan replied. "I'm sorry, Emily. But I don't think I can answer that."

"I can," Henry replied from the doorway of the hospital room. He came in and stood on Emily's other side.

"What's happened, Henry?" Emily asked. "Why do I look like Margaret?"

Henry sighed. "You made us all promise that we would never turn you, but I thought that if you and Margaret switched bodies, it might help," he said. "_That_ is why you look like you do. You're in Margaret's body, and Margaret is in yours, but you each maintain your human and vampire characteristics in spite of the switch." He paused and gave Tristan (who was livid) a look. "That means you shouldn't start planning a whole new life with her," he said. "The switch may give Emily more time, but sooner or later, the tumor will catch up again, and she'll die. I just thought you'd like to know that. But in the mean time..." He muttered under his breath and Tristan found himself looking at Emily again, and when she turned back to the mirror, she saw her own reflection too. "Am I back to being myself?" She asked excitedly.

"Not exactly," Henry replied. "The spell I just cast allows you and Tristan to see you as you are. Everyone else will see you as Margaret, so maybe bringing your father by is not a good idea. I still need to do the same thing for Margaret, whenever it is she'll let me near her again."

"Well, I hope she doesn't," Tristan replied, taking Emily in his arms protectively. "Cause if you come near her, you'll probably just make things worse for her, like you have for me, and Emily, and her poor father...did you think about the consequences at all before you did that stupid spell, Henry? Or were you only concerned about having sex with my sister?"

"I was only trying to help," Henry whispered.

"Well, you failed," Tristan snapped. "And I think you should go home before you ruin anything else."

"All right," Henry nodded. "Goodbye. And Emily, I'm very, _very_ sorry."

She nodded, and he turned to leave the hospital room, and go home to face the music.


	9. Stopping To Think

The first thing Margaret wanted to do when she arrived home was go and confess what had happened to her father. She made to go, but James put a hand on her arm. "Wait!" He whispered. "You'll still look like Emily to him, and that might frighten him." He waved his hand. "There, you look like you. Now you can go."

"Thank you," Margaret replied and ran to see her father. "I didn't mean to run out on the wedding, Daddy!" She cried, bursting into his office as he looked up in surprise. "But Henry turned into Adam and did a whole bunch of magic on me, and before you know it, everything was all ruined! I'm sorry I failed you, Daddy. I'm _sorry_!"

Elijah listened to this speech and looked at his daughter's desperate face. "It's all right," he assured her, coming to take her in his arms. "I'm not mad at you. In fact, I was going to suggest that you and Adam file annulment papers when you got back from the honeymoon anyway."

"What?" Margaret asked, her eyes wide. "Why?"

"Well, did you really love him?" Elijah asked. "Or were you just with him because it's what _I_ wanted and you didn't want to disappoint me?"

Margaret sighed. "The second thing you said," she replied. "But after all that's going on with Henry, I'm beginning to think that being with Adam, even though I never loved him, wouldn't have been so bad after all."

"What do you mean?" Elijah asked, eyes narrowed. "Margaret, has he hurt you?"

"No, no," Margaret replied quickly. "It's just...complicated. Since Henry and I are related, we have to go through all these irritating magical gymnastics to be together, and it's not fun." She paused and sat down in the chair across from him. "For example, although it may look like you're talking to _me_, without the proper spells, you would think you were talking to Tristan's friend Emily, cause she's the person whose body Henry put me in."

"He put you in Emily's body?" Elijah asked, rising from his chair. "Even though he likes you, what right does he have to do that? Did he even ask you before he did it?"

"No," Margaret shook her head. "I guess that he thought by doing the body switch, he would kill two birds with one stone: giving Emily more time to live, and making it possible for us to be together."

"But what sort of relationship does Henry expect you to have if he did this to you for what seems to be solely his own gain?" Elijah asked.

"I don't know, Daddy," Margaret shrugged. "I-I still want to be with him, but I think-I think I need time before we continue with this."

"That's very smart," Elijah replied. "I'm proud of you. And I guess since Adam was not the man you married, then there'll be no need for an annulment after all. We have that to be grateful for, at least."

"Again, I'm sorry for not telling you the truth before you went to all that trouble to throw me a big wedding," Margaret replied.

"Oh, that was nothing," Elijah replied. "Besides, I sort of had it coming. I had an inkling in my mind that what I was doing wasn't right, but I chose to ignore it because I wanted to do whatever I could to keep you away from Henry. This is my pride coming to bite me, I suppose."

"I understand why you did it, though," Margaret replied.

"So what will you do about Henry?" Elijah asked.

"I don't know," Margaret shrugged. "Maybe I'll take a couple of days to recover from this, and then when I feel better, I'll talk to him again."

"All right," Elijah replied. "In the mean time, I promise not to look for any new boyfriends for you."

"Thanks," Margaret smiled as she saw her mother poke her head in the door. "What's going on?" She asked. "I just saw James leave."

"He brought Margaret back," Elijah replied as Margaret turned in her chair. "Apparently, the honeymoon didn't go as expected. Our groom was replaced by someone else."

"He was?" Selina asked, then gave Margaret a look. "Was it Henry?"

"Yes," Margaret nodded. "But I don't think we should be mad at him. He's probably beating himself up enough as it is."

"Well, all right," Selina replied. "If that's what you think should be done, I won't say anything." She gave Elijah a pointed glance. "And neither will your father."

* * *

"Whatever is wrong with you," Susanna said to Henry as she plunked Rusty in his lap. "Here, have a puppy."

"I don't want a dog," Henry replied and lay back down on the bed. "Take him away."

"Well, what's wrong with you?" Susanna asked.

"You probably wouldn't understand, but I-I wanted to be with Margaret, and I did something really stupid, and now she hates me!"

"I can relate," Susanna said. "The last time I went to Marcel's, he had a date with his girlfriend Stella, whom he'd been with for five years, despite not seeming like the type at all. I wanted to spend the night watching movies with him, so, to stop him from going out, I planted Mom's bra in the sofa and pretended like it belonged to some other woman, and then Stella broke up with Marcel and he spent the whole night watching movies with me. See?" She said with a grin. "It's the same thing!"

"No, it's not!" Henry replied irritably. "What I did, I did with love and good intentions, but you...what you did was just devious and evil!"

"Fine," Susanna exclaimed and snatched Rusty away. "No comforting puppy for you!"

She left, and Lenora came in a few seconds later. "All right," Henry replied, throwing up his hands. "Yell at me, scold me for what I did. I probably deserve it, anyway."

"You were a little impulsive," Lenora told him, and came to sit beside him on the bed. "But let me guess: you wanted to save Margaret from something, right?"

"Yes!" Henry replied. "Did you _see_ the guy her dad wanted her to marry? Margaret didn't even like him!"

"So you did the first thing you could think of to save her from a fate like that without really thinking in the long term what it would mean for you...and for her," Lenora replied.

"Yeah," Henry nodded with a half-hearted grin. "Pretty stupid, huh?"

"I suppose, in a way, yes," Lenora nodded. "But if I hadn't made a certain stupid, impulsive decision to save someone else, you wouldn't even exist, so I can't really say more than 'be careful next time'."

Henry's eyes widened. "Is that so?"

"Yeah," Lenora nodded. "When I was a little girl, my dad's aunt was dabbling in black magic along with my aunt Roxie in an attempt to end my grandfather's relationship with a woman Roxie didn't like. They brought the woman's former husband back to life with magic, and that led to Grandpa and she breaking up. Although Aunt Anna was technically not under witch rule anymore, (being a vampire and all), your father still felt that what she did fell under his umbrella of punishment and was gonna take her, but it was _my_ promise to be in servitude to him that caused my aunt to be saved. After that, the rest is history."

"Well, damn," Henry said in surprise.

"And anyway," Lenora replied, "It's probably best that you and Margaret hold things off for awhile, what with Grandma Astrid's inter-species marriage legislation still being battled for, it's a messy time for warlocks and witches to marry people from other species."

"But_ I'm _two species!" Henry pointed out.

"So true," Lenora replied. "As am I, but the important thing is, we're related to Grandma, and if we don't behave, and keep up appearances of being good warlocks and witches, it'll be all the more difficult for Grandma's legislation to get through. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Henry nodded. "I suppose...I suppose I can wait to be with Margaret. For Grandma's sake."

"Good boy," Lenora nodded. "Now, what do you say you come have something to eat, huh?"

"Sure," Henry replied. "Why not?"

* * *

Tristan held Emily's hand as they stood outside the party goods store where she worked part time. "What do we do now?" She asked. "I can't go back to work! I can't even go home to see my Daddy! I have nothing!"

Tristan hugged her. "I suppose we could get an apartment," he said.

"But I would feel wrong living with a man I'm not married to, even if he's someone I trust," she said.

"All right," Tristan replied. "Let's go down to the courthouse and get married, then. If that's what_ you _want, of course."

"Well, sure," Emily nodded. "It would be nice to see what getting married feels like before I die."

"We could even bring your dad," Tristan added.

"How?" Emily asked. "He's gonna look at me and see that I...changed."

"Not if I compel him to think you haven't," Tristan replied, continuing as Emily opened her mouth to protest. "I know you don't like the idea of any vampire powers being used on people you love, but if you want to have your father at our wedding, it's really our only choice."

"All right," Emily nodded with a sigh. "If you think that's best." They went home and found her father crying in his arm chair about how he hadn't even been able to say goodbye to her before she'd been taken from the hospital. "Sir?" Tristan reached out to touch him. He started and his head shot up, tears falling onto the leather of the chair. "What?" He asked, looking around as if he had no idea where he was.

"Sir," Tristan repeated, looking directly into Emily's father's eyes. "Look who I brought home to you. It's Emily!"

"Yes!" Her father's eyes lit up and he hugged her. "Emily, I'm so happy to see you! I thought you were gone forever!"

"No, Daddy," Emily replied. "Not at all."

Still smiling, her father let her go and leaned back against the sofa. "You-you seem much better, sweetheart," he said. "How is that possible?"

Emily shrugged. "It was just one of those things, I guess."

"Well, we were lucky!" Her father exclaimed. "Now, I have no idea how long you'll be well, so we might as well make the most of it."

"And speaking of which," Tristan added. "Would it...would it be all right if I married your daughter?"

Emily's father turned and gave Tristan a long look. "You're a good boy," he said at last. "I suppose if anyone is going to marry my daughter, it should be you. Not every boy would stand by someone so ill."

"Well, thank you," Tristan replied with slight incline of his head. "It's my pleasure to look after your daughter, sir."

They then stood in silence for a few minutes before her father clapped his hands. "What are we standing around for? I have a friend who's a judge. I know it's not so romantic, but we can get this whole matter taken care of quickly."

"All right," Emily replied. They got in her father's car, and she called Henry to tell him what they were doing in case he wanted to be there. He was there before they were, and stood next to Emily's father during the ceremony. When it was all over, Henry asked for a moment alone to talk to Emily, and when he got that, he put one last spell on her so that her father would see her as herself, and Tristan's compulsion could be lifted.

"I know I screwed up," Henry told her. "But I hope...I hope this makes things a little bit better."

Emily smiled and put her hand on Henry's cheek. "It does," she said. "Thank you, Henry."

"Well, you should probably go now," Henry replied. "Congratulations."

"Thank you," Emily said. "Good luck with Margaret! I know it'll all turn out all right in the end!"

"I hope so," Henry said to himself as he watched her go. "I _really_ hope so."


	10. An Artistic Venture

A few nights after Astrid's 'debate' with Doctor Putnam, Henry zapped up some flowers and went straight to Margaret's.

"Hey," he said, opening her bedroom door a crack and peeking in. "Are you okay?"

Margaret heard him and turned. "You should thank your dad," she said quietly. "He fixed it so everyone else sees me as me. Now, even though I know I'm in Emily's body, at least no one can see it."

"Well, if you're in it, it's not really Emily's body anymore, is it?" Henry asked, handing her the flowers. "I brought you these," he said.

Margaret gave him a look. "If you're bribing me to like you again, it won't work."

Henry looked at her as she lay on the bed, book in hand, and grinned. "Maybe flowers won't," he said, gently taking the book away. "But I know what will." Margaret's jaw dropped in indignation, but then, Henry took her in his arms and kissed her, the book going flying off the bed as he lowered her down on the mattress and her fingers threaded through his hair.

He kissed her for awhile, but didn't want to push his luck, so he finally pulled away.

"What did you do that for?" She asked. "Are you giving up already?"

"Well, do you_ want _me to keep going or not?" Henry asked. "I wouldn't want you to think I was bribing you to like me or anything."

"That doesn't even have to do with anything!" Margaret said. "And is there some sort of spell you can put on the door so no one will hear us if we get loud?"

Henry smirked. "Are you _planning_ on being loud?"

"Oh, I hope so," Margaret whispered against his ear, then gave it a nibble. Henry chuckled and moved her underneath him, his hands moving up and down her body, giving her shivers, before he pushed in, and pushed out of her, and then pushed in again. She gave what he presumed to be a pleasurable squeak, but then cut it off, clutching him hard, her nails digging into his back. "Maggie," Henry whispered. "Maggie, are you all right?"

"Henry," she got out in a choked voice. She was struggling against something. "Henry, are you sure that no one can hear us from outside?"

"Yes, I'm sure," Henry replied. "Why?"

It was then that Margaret let out a loud shriek that lasted for a long time. When it was done, she was panting and grinning. "Sorry," she said. "Are you deaf?"

"No," Henry replied. "But we probably shouldn't do that again until you move in with me."

"All right," Margaret replied easily. "What would be the best time for you?"

"Really?" Henry asked. "Just like that? Don't you think we should at least get married first? What will your dad say?"

"You know that if we tell him, he won't let it happen. He's taking Mom to Paris for her birthday so she can meet this friend of his. We'll marry and I'll get moved in while they're gone, and they don't even have to know."

But that didn't feel right to Henry. "I know your father has issues with us, but I still think we should let him see you get married, or at least say that we asked him, even if he says 'No'."

"All right," Margaret replied. "I'll ask him."

"Good," Henry nodded. He gave her one last kiss and disappeared, leaving an empty spot in her bed and a lot of thoughts in her head.

* * *

She came downstairs the next morning, trying to maintain an air of ease so that neither of her parents would suspect what she'd been up to only a few hours previously. She reached the table, sat down next to Ethan, and helped him cut his eggs.

"Good morning, Margaret," Elijah greeted her. "You look like you slept well."

"Thanks for noticing," Margaret replied, then quickly changed the subject. "Why don't you tell Mom about what she's getting for her birthday? As of right now, she's the only one who doesn't know!"

"So..." Selina asked Elijah turning to face him when she heard this. "What are you planning to do for my birthday?"

"Well, I have a potential idea," Elijah replied. "But I was going to ask you how you felt about it first."

"Oh, yes?" Selina asked, feeling intrigued. "Just what is it?"

"I have a friend who runs a wax museum of horrors," Elijah replied. "It caters mainly to human and vampire patrons, even though Antoine himself is a warlock, and he's been wanting to do a Lonely Heart exhibit for years, but couldn't, of course, cause he had no idea what you look like. I told him I could possibly help him, but first I have to ask...would you be willing?"

"Sure!" Selina replied, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "I just can't believe you'd let yourself have a friend who did something that...fun. I thought you'd turn your nose down at it."

"Well, he didn't have a house of horrors when I met him," Elijah replied stiffly. "That came later. So I can tell him that you'll help, then?"

"Well, yes!" Selina replied, hugging him hard. "What a great birthday present! When do we leave? It'll probably have to be soon. I should probably get packing." She ran off, leaving her breakfast behind. Ethan immediately took advantage and tried to reach for her waffles, but his arms were too short.

"Daddy," he asked Elijah. "Can I have Mommy's waffles?"

Elijah turned his head. "Selina?" He yelled. "Can Ethan have your waffles?"

"Sure," Selina yelled back. "I'm too excited to eat!"

"All right then," Elijah replied, then cut them up for Ethan before passing him the plate. "There you go," he said, doing his best to ignore Clementine, who shared Ethan's chair. "We wouldn't want you to choke."

"Thank you," Ethan replied and began spearing waffle pieces with a fork while his mother tossed all her clothes out of her closet trying to figure out what would be dressy enough for Paris.

* * *

"Do you think your parents will be upset that we got married and didn't tell them?" Emily asked when she and Tristan arrived at Elijah and Selina's that night. "Should we have?"

"I'm sure they'll understand," Tristan replied. "And besides, we're telling them now."

Emily nodded nervously and followed Tristan into the house. His mother usually met people at the door, but today, she was nowhere in sight.

"Mom?" Tristan yelled. "Where in the world are you?"

"In my and your dad's room!" Selina called back. "Packing."

Tristan led Emily there and watched from the bed with amusement as his mother threw dresses out of the closet. "What are you packing for?" He asked. "Special occasion?"

"Yeah, my birthday," Selina replied. "Your father is taking me on a trip to Paris to meet a friend of his. It should be fun. He owns a museum of horrors. But you already knew that, didn't you?"

"Yes," Tristan nodded. "And Emily and I have some big news too," he said. "Well, first, the spell that Henry did on Margaret, he also did on Emily, so that's why she's better for however long, and second, she and I got married. Sorry we didn't tell you."

"Oh, it's all right, sweetie!" Selina said, coming to hug him and then Emily. "What do you say I make a special dinner for you two, then? Or at least a cake?"

"Oh, you don't have to do that!" Emily flushed.

"Yes, I do!" Selina replied, finally extricating herself from the closet. "You're my daughter in law now!" She kicked a pile of clothes aside and led Tristan and Margaret to the kitchen where she made a quick and simple cake and frosted it with whipped cream, then wrote a 'Happy Wedding' message on it.

"What's the cake for?" Elijah asked, coming out from his office.

"Emily and Tristan got married and I thought we should celebrate it, even in this small way," Selina replied, bringing the cake out to the dining room table, and then calling for Ethan and Margaret.

When everyone was seated, Selina offered the happy pair the knife and Tristan took it and began cutting slices.

"Thank you for this," Emily replied. "I really wasn't expecting it."

"Oh, it's no trouble," Selina replied, "Really."

"So, what inspired you two to get married?" Elijah asked.

"Well, we figured that even with the body switch, we don't know how much time Emily has left, so we might as well get married while we can," Tristan replied.

"You're not disappointed, are you?" Emily asked Elijah.

"Of course not," Elijah replied. "I'm not worried about you at all."

"I hope you have a good time in Paris," Emily told Selina. "I'd like to go sometime."

"Well, I'll make a note of the good stuff, so you'll know what to do when you and Tristan go," Selina replied.

"I _hope_ we'll be able to," Emily replied, and Tristan took her hand in his, giving it a squeeze, although his blue eyes were troubled. "We _will_," he told her. "I promise."

After the cake was gone, Emily stood up and said that she and Tristan should probably be getting back to her dad's. "He still can't believe I'm alive," she said. "And it worries him if I stay out for too long. Thanks for the cake, Selina."

"You're welcome," Selina replied as she and Elijah followed them to the door. "Congratulations, you two." They waved goodbye one last time and the door closed. "Well," Selina told Elijah. "You took that very well."

"I wouldn't normally," Elijah replied. "But given the fragile nature of Emily's health and the fact that I trust her, this is the one time I could accept a surprise marriage of one of my children. They're just making good use of what time they have."

"Speaking of making good use of time," Selina replied, "I still have packing to do!"

"You can relax!" Elijah called after her. "We don't need to leave right away!"

"Why not?" Selina called back. "I want to!"

"All right," Elijah called. "We'll leave the day after tomorrow. Is that soon enough?"

"Yeah," Selina called back. "I guess."

* * *

"So this is your friend's place?" Selina asked, looking at the very elegant building that had _Antoine Simon's Maison D'horreur _on it. "What a nice building!"

"Isn't it just, though?" Elijah asked. He led her inside and went through the exhibits and crowds of people, and half-finished exhibits waiting to go on display. "Usually he takes his with each sculpture, but I have a feeling he'll want to get you up as soon as possible, so he's gonna go the quick route." He knocked on the door of a room that had narrow floor to ceiling windows on either side. Selina peered in and saw a chubby, balding man with a slight amont of dark hair with his back to them, preparing wax, presumably to be made into something. Elijah knocked on the door, and a voice called back, "I'm busy, come back later."

"It's me, Antoine, Elijah Mikaelson!" Elijah called. "And I brought someone I want you to meet!" The man turned and sped to the door, opening it. "You better not be lying to me!" He said. "I have waited too long for this to be a trick."

"Well, it's not," Elijah replied with a grin. "Selina, come and meet my friend Antoine Simon."

"Hello!" Selina replied brightly with a wide grin. Then her face changed when she saw that he looked disappointed. "What's the matter?"

But he ignored her. "You promised me that you'd bring me Lonely Heart!" He spat at Elijah and gestured wildly at Selina's hot pink dress with white polka dots, light pink ruffles around the skirt and matching pink flats. "And instead you bring me this...this.." He apparently couldn't come up with a strong enough word to communicate how much he thought Elijah had cheated him. He then turned away from them and muttered under his breath an in angry tone. "_Tu me prends pour un imbécile mon vieux ou quoi? "_

"Yes," Selina replied and grabbed his throat. Elijah tried to restrain her, but then decided to let Selina defend her honor. "You _are_ a fool, and you _are_ a jerk for thinking that just because I'm dressed this way, I can't be who Elijah says I am."

"Prove it," Antoine replied in a strangled voice. Selina then turned to Elijah. "Can I?" She asked. "Is that all right?"

"If he needs proof, I guess it is," Elijah replied, his arms crossed, watching the confrontation with a smirk on his lips. "Although you don't need to prove anything, I won't stop you."

"All right," Selina replied. She hissed at him and began raking his chest with her nails, letting blood spurt all over her dress, before she bit his neck and sucked greedily. Finally, she stopped, letting the wide-eyed man go and force-feeding him some of her blood. "I'd show you more, but I don't want to kill you," Selina told him. "Do you believe me now?"

"_Oui_," Antoine replied, getting up and breathing hard. "Apologies, Madam," he said.

"Now that we're all friends, what do you say I leave you two alone to work on that the figure for the exhibit?" Elijah asked.

"All right," Selina nodded. "Works for me."

* * *

Selina told Elijah nothing of the model and diorama that Antoine was making of her until the unveiling of the exhibit.

"It's very artistic and frightening," Selina said as she and Elijah went into the museum where the display was front and center, hidden from audience view by a white sheet set up like a curtain.

"I think I'll like it then," Elijah replied. As the hour grew near, everyone gathered in front of the curtain and waited. Antoine eventually came on stage and greeted the crowd, calling Selina up so she could be recognized, her identity as Lonely Heart finally revealed to the world. After she assured everyone that she'd moved on from that persona, they all applauded, and Antoine pulled the curtain away, showing a scene that brought gasps from the crowed. It was a scene of a naked Selina approaching an old boyfriend and his lover in bed and brutally murdering them both, blood covering her pale skin. Her figure was very lifelike, to the point where Elijah, eyes wide, strode up to the exhibit and tried to hide it with the curtain. "All right, all right," he said, his cheeks a vivid scarlet. "Nothing to see here. Nothing at all." He then grabbed Selina and pulled her off the stage and out the door. "When were you planning on mentioning to me that you allowed Antoine to do a naked figure of you?" He asked. "How often did you pose like that for him?"

"I told you!" Selina replied. "I said it was a very artistic figure, and I thought artistic usually meant 'naked'. It's not my fault you didn't get the hint! And don't you yell at me on my birthday vacation!"

"Fine, I won't yell," Elijah replied through his teeth as they pulled out of the parking lot. "I will calmly say that we're leaving here because of that damn exhibit, and we sure as hell aren't ever coming back!"


	11. Making A Political Statement

"Okay," Selina said when she and Elijah arrived back at the place they were staying. "Keep yelling. I can take it!"

"Did you_ see _how realistic that figure of you was?" Elijah asked. "It means that every day, people will come into the museum and stare at your..." His eyes perused her body.

"My goods, yes," Selina nodded. "But remember, you are the only one who has access to the real thing," she told him, pulling him toward herself and placing his hands firmly on her butt. "What everyone else sees, that's just a really well-done approximation."

"But I still don't like it," Elijah replied.

"Are you still not yelling at me cause it's my birthday trip?"

"Exactly," Elijah replied. He stood in silence, but Selina saw that his cheek was twitching and his eyes were narrowed. Finally, he grabbed her arms, pushed her against the wall, and sank his fangs into her neck, letting the blood drip onto her dress, which he then tore off.

She let out a yell, which, soon after, turned into a giggle. Then, he picked her up and carried her to bed, tying her wrists with one of his ties so that she stayed put. This made her smirk, which only enraged him more.

"I don't see what's so funny!" He replied.

She sobered. "Nothing is funny, I promise!" But she couldn't keep the straight face for long. He grabbed her by her hair and kissed her hard, pushing into her, and licking the blood from her neck. Then he slipped off her panties and muttered a thanks that she was wearing a strapless bra.

When she was lying naked and smirking before him, he leaned forward, breathing heavily. "I can't help but think that other men will be looking at this," he said, running his hand up her thigh then slipping his finger inside her. She let out a yell and strained against the tie. He quickly shifted position and pushed into her repeatedly, a wicked grin on his face as she yelled. He was so caught up in exerting his power over her that he didn't notice that along with all the screaming, she was trying hard not to laugh. Finally, he stopped, got off her, threw the blanket over her head, and then left her tied to the bedpost for the rest of the day, and when he came to bed, he faced away from her and shut his eyes.

"Come on and be reasonable, Elijah!" She cried, shifting her weight a bit. "You can't just leave me here like this! I have to go to the bathroom!"

"Fine," Elijah untied her and she zipped into the bathroom, but when she returned, he tied her up again. "This is not fun anymore," she replied.

"It's not supposed to be," he replied. "Maybe spending a night and a day like that will teach you respect for me."

"Oh, I respect you plenty!" Selina replied.

"After seeing that exhibit, I don't think so," Elijah replied.

"Oh, I see," Selina replied. "So I'm not allowed to be a sexual being of my own violition just because you don't like it. The only way I can be sexual at all is when it pleases _you_."

"You make it sound as if I'm being unreasonable," he replied.

"You are!" Selina shot back. He'd tied a really tight knot, but she gave her wrists a hard twist and was free. "There we go," she replied. "Much better." Then, she got out of bed. "I think I'll go find another room to sleep in tonight, if you don't mind."

"Be my guest," Elijah replied. "And happy birthday, by the way."

"Thank you," Selina replied. "And good night!" She slammed the bedroom door and found another room, tucking herself in and closing her eyes.

* * *

The next morning, Selina woke up and went to the dining room where she found Elijah leaning over a half-drunk cup of coffee and looking ashamed.

"Is that the face of someone who's ready to apologize to me?" Selina asked. "Cause I'll accept it any time."

"The only thing I'll apologize for is how much I hurt you last night when I let my anger get the best of me," he said. "I let things get rough to soothe my anger, and it seems like with all the yelling you did, it was a bit much for you."

"Oh, I wasn't yelling because I was in pain or not enjoying what you were doing," Selina replied. "It was all great, especially the biting. The screaming was because I was having orgasms like you wouldn't believe. It was intense."

"What?" Elijah gasped and choked on his coffee. "You can't be serious!" He cried. "How in the world would being bitten and hurt be such a turn-on for you?" He paused. "Oh, wait. Don't tell me. Cause of Niklaus?"

"All I will say is 'Yes', and out of respect for your feelings, I won't elaborate," Selina replied. "And I-I'm sorry about the exhibit. I'm so comfortable with my body that I show it off without thinking about how uncomfortable that makes you. Next time I consent to being someone's artistic muse, I'll be clothed."

"Well, thank you," Elijah replied. "I know you find it exasperating to have to remember something like that, but I appreciate that you're going to try and make the effort." They stood in silence and then Selina cleared her throat. "So, now that we're getting along again, can I have my morning kiss?"

"Well, yes," Elijah replied with a grin, took her in his arms. "Of course you can." He kissed her long and deep, and when he let her go, she looked stunned. "So," she said when she could get her breath again. "What do you say we have breakfast and then go back to bed?"

"Sounds all right to me," Elijah replied with a wink.

* * *

"Do you still honestly feel we need my daddy's consent before we marry?" Margaret asked Henry as they sat on his front porch. "Cause you know the likelihood of that happening is slim. He only accepted Tristan and Emily's marriage because she's gonna die soon. How about we get married now, and then do another ceremony when my dad and mom get back? Heck, your dad could even marry us. Sea captains can do that, right?"

"Well, he's not a sea captain any more," Henry said.

"Well, close enough," Margaret replied. "And we haven't even told your parents about all this either."

"My parents are busy with Grandma Astrid and her politics," Henry replied. "Which would make them more nervous about us than your dad is."

"So what do we do?" Margaret asked. "Can I at least stay with you at your house until my parents get back? We don't even have to worry about Ethan. He's staying with Laura and Edward!"

"You know," Henry told her. "You really surprise me. I didn't expect you to want us together so fast."

"And you surprise me cause you _don't!"_ Margaret replied. "Why?"

Henry sighed. "Well, even with the body change, it's still really iffy for us to be together and I just...I love you so I want to make a good impression on your parents, you know? I want your father to know that I respect you and I respect him and us just running off and getting married, or even moving in together, won't show that. It'll probably make things worse for us!"

Just as Margaret opened her mouth to protest this statement, Henry noticed a man in a dark suit and a pink tie approach the house with a clipboard in hand. It was Clarence, come to remedy the whole Margaret-Henry living situation as subtly as possible.

"Hello, there," he said when he reached them. "My name is Clarence Jones and I'm here on behalf of Astrid Fale, who, as you may or may not know, is trying to put legislation through the council that would allow interspecies marriage."

"I _do_ know that, as a matter of fact," Henry replied. "She's my grandma."

"Ah!" Clarence replied, acting as if he were hearing this information for the first time. "So you must be...Henry?"

"Yes," Henry replied, and then indicated Margaret. "And this is Maggie."

"We love each other but he thinks it's a bad idea for us to get married cause it will ruin Astrid's campaign even more than it's already ruined," Margaret said. "Do you have an opinion, Mister?"

"Yes, I do, as a matter of fact," Clarence replied. "If you want to get married, I think you should do it, and as fast as possible."

"But won't that destroy Grandma's chances of getting her legislation through?" Henry asked.

"No!" Clarence replied. "Her problem now is that every couple that can be seen as an example of the idea she's trying to pass on has a very negative thing attached to them which has soured the idea of interspecies marriage in people's minds. For example, they aren't too happy about you switching Margaret's body with that friend of yours' just so you can be together. Some people see that as selfish."

"But I love her and we're related," Henry replied. "I didn't have a lot of other choices! If I hadn't done the body switch, I'd be having sex with my aunt!"

"Yes, that _is_ a bit awkward," Clarence agreed, running his hand over his now bald head. "But if you marry and show people that you're harmless and a successful example of an interspecies marriage, you'd be helping your grandmother more than hurting her."

"But what's her dad gonna say if we get married?" Henry asked. "He hates me enough as it is!"

"Just do it!" Clarence replied. "You don't have to worry about him. Or if you're not gonna marry, at least move in together."

"All right," Henry replied, looking at him oddly. "You know, for someone who's just doing campaign work for my grandmother, you're very interested in us."

Clarence smiled. "It's part of the job," he said. "I'll be going now."

"All right," Henry replied as Clarence turned and left. "Goodbye."

* * *

"Well, look who finally decided to come for a visit?" James said as Henry and Margaret came through the door of the castle.

"Sorry," Henry replied. "You know I'm still moving into the house."

"Do you need help with that?" Lenora asked.

"No, thanks," Henry replied. "But I just wondered...can Margaret and I move in here for a bit? Just until all this 'Grandma election hoopla' is over? One of the guys who works for her stopped by the house and said that we should at least move in together cause our positive example of an interspecies relationship with help Grandma with her legislation."

"Is that so?" James asked. "And just who _was _this guy?"

"I think he said his name was Clarence," Margaret replied. "Black guy, very muscular, wore a dark suit and a pink tie."

"Oh, damn!" James replied. "That son of a-"

"Who is he?" Lenora asked. "Do you know him?"

"Well, of _course _I know him!" James replied. "When I was doing my torturer bit, he was the anti-me. Where I punished love gone wrong, it was his job to make love work out!"

"Now, was that _including_ you and me?" Lenora asked.

"Yes, that was including you and me," James replied. "When he came to visit, he seemed to think it was some act of mercy on his part to make me fall in love with someone."

"Well, I don't know whether to be offended or not," Lenora replied, eyes narrowed.

"You _shouldn't_ be!" James replied. "Once it happened, I got used to the idea, didn't I?"

"Well, having you as the only person I could be with for awhile there was no picnic either," Lenora replied.

"Can we focus on the real issue here?" Henry interrupted. "And by that, I mean...me?"

"Sure," Lenora replied. "So...what do you want us to do?"

"Well, Margaret is convinced that you can marry us," Henry told his father. "You know, cause you used to be a boat captain."

James then locked eyes with Margaret. "Meaning no offense to you, Maggie, but do you really think it's a good idea for you two to get married now? You can live here together, that's not a problem-"

"And, knowing Margaret's father, he'd probably prefer she have some sort of chaperone when she's with Henry anyway," Lenora added.

"But-" James eyed his wife. "I think you shouldn't get married now. There've been too many weddings going on recently, and I think we should wait a bit until we have another one."

"Okay, so I'll move in," Margaret replied. "Thanks James, thanks Lenora." Then she turned to Henry. "So, you want to go back home with me and help me pack my stuff?"

Henry moved his hand. "No need," he said. "It's already been done."


	12. Welcome To My Nightmare

"I don't know if we should move in together just because that guy said so," Margaret said. "He doesn't know my daddy."

"Well, look at you," Henry replied. "The woman who was so keen to get married and then tell her dad afterward is having second thoughts now. I don't know whether to be relieved or offended."

"I'm not _trying_ to offend you," Margaret replied. "I'm just being practical. Daddy and Mom come home tomorrow and we have to tell them _something_."

"I'll talk to your dad," Henry replied.

"Are you sure?" Margaret asked. "You know, I could do it instead."

"No," Henry replied. "It has to be me. Your father will respect me if I ask him personally. Or at least I hope he will." He gulped nervously.

"Well, if you insist," Margaret replied skeptically. "Good luck!"

* * *

Elijah was surprised that Henry was the first person he saw when he and Selina arrived home from Paris. "Henry?" He asked. "What are you doing here? Am I going to like the answer?"

"No," Henry replied. "But you and I need to talk, please, sir."

"Just a minute," Elijah replied. He and Selina then went to their room and dropped the bags on the bed. "I know what he's gonna tell me!" Elijah said to Selina. "He's gonna tell me that he defiled Margaret!"

"Why do you always use that word 'defiled'?" Selina asked. "It makes things much worse than they already are. You didn't seem to have a problem with 'defiling' me before we were married."

"Well, this is totally different!" Elijah said through his teeth.

"At least give him a chance," Selina replied. "I bet it took a lot of courage for him to even approach you. And he's trying to do right by Margaret and you and not do things with her behind your back. Doesn't he deserve credit for that?"

"All right, fine," Elijah told Selina. "I'll go talk to him!"

"Remember to be gentle!" Selina called after him, even though she knew her suggestion wouldn't be heeded. Elijah headed back to the living room and upon seeing him, Henry, betraying his nervousness with only a slight leg shake, stood up.

"Come to my office," Elijah commanded and led Henry to his sacred space, closing the door behind them. "So," he said once they were both seated. "What gave you the courage to talk to me, Henry?"

Henry squeezed his eyes shut for a few seconds, and prayed that he wouldn't show any sign of fear.

"Well, it shouldn't surprise you that I want to talk about Margaret," he said, locking his gaze with Elijah's. "I would like her to move in with me."

"No," Elijah said flatly you're not married. I won't allow it."

"Technically we _are_ married," Henry replied. "I was disguised as Adam the day of Margaret's last wedding."

"Well, that was without my permission, so it doesn't count," Elijah replied.

"What's the point in asking for your permission if you and I both know you won't give it to me?" Henry asked. "I'm trying to be polite here. I want to do right by you _and _your daughter, but I think it's just bullshit that you won't even give me a chance, despite how polite I've been!" He was standing up now, and breathing hard, just waiting for how Elijah would respond.

Suddenly, Elijah jumped up and gave Henry a hard slap across the face. "How dare you?" He spat. "How _dare_ you come into my house and speak to me like that!" And with those words, he bounded over the desk, his hands around Henry's throat for a few seconds before the young man disappeared. Elijah stared down at his empty hands in shock. Where had Henry gone? He didn't have to wait long to find out. Henry appeared again, a few seconds later, leisurely posed in Elijah's chair, sitting sideways with his legs draped over one arm and a smirk on his face. "Looking for _me_?" He asked with a chuckle.

Elijah let out a growl and made another dive, but Henry just disappeared again, his chuckle ringing out in the office walls as Elijah missed him and knocked the heavy leather chair to the floor.

Shaking his head, and gathering his composure, Elijah stood up, his head whipping around the empty room as he panted, hoping for another sight of Henry. The young man appeared next to a lamp, his blue eyes sparkling. Elijah missed him again, and knocked a lamp over, followed by an entire bookshelf. It was this last, thunderous crash that brought Margaret and Selina running to check on them both.

"My _god!"_ Selina cried, looking around at all the overturned things in the once pristine office. "What the hell happened here?"

"Is anyone hurt?" Margaret asked.

"I'm fine," Henry replied, appearing again. "Although your father has looked better."

"Henry!" Margaret scolded, her hands on her hips. "What have you _done_ to him?"

"He was trying to throttle me!" Henry replied. "_That_ is apparently what honesty gets you in this house. I was only trying to defend myself."

"You tried to choke Henry?" Selina asked Elijah as he smoothed out his hair. "I _told_ you to be gentle."

"But I didn't promise you that I would be," Elijah replied, getting his breath.

"How about we clean this up and then go have a talk like normal people?" Selina suggested. "Clearly, we can't trust you two to handle this on your own."

"No, no," Elijah replied. "We can handle it."

"Are you sure?" Selina asked.

"Yes," Elijah sighed. "We can."

But Selina and Margaret still looked doubtful and stayed where they were.

"Just go!" Elijah demanded irritably. "We won't talk until you do."

"Fine," Margaret replied. "But if we hear any more crashing, we're coming back and we're not leaving." They left and Elijah pushed up his sleeves.

"Are we having a fist fight?" Henry asked.

"No," Elijah replied. "But I _would_ like to know why in the world you think I would allow you to marry my daughter."

"Because I love her and she loves me," Henry replied. "I would make her happy. You want her to be happy, right?"

"Of course I do!" Elijah replied. "But you hardly seem like the person who would make my daughter happy."

"Oh, and _seeing_ with your own eyes that I make her happy isn't enough evidence for you?"

"Margaret hasn't been with many men," Elijah replied. "Or even one. And I have to wonder if her reaction to you is just some girlish whim rather than something that's suitable in the long-term."

"So you think that eventually she'll come to her senses, dump me, and marry someone like that Adam man you set her up with?" Henry asked.

"I made a mistake bringing Margaret and Adam together," Elijah confessed. "From now on, I'll let her choose her own boyfriends...within reason, of course."

"And what's wrong with _me_?" Henry asked.

"I seem to remember that in high school, you were quite the ladies' man," Elijah replied.

"I made all that up!" Henry cried. "It wasn't true!"

"But you felt you had a reputation to make, so that's why you spread rumors that you were a Lothario?" Elijah asked. "That was more important to you than anything else?"

"I was a stupid teenage boy," Henry replied. "But even then, I always intended for every part of me to go to Margaret. And now, with the body change, since she's not in a body that's related to me anymore, there's nothing that can stand in my way." He paused. "Well, except for you, that is. Think about it. _You_ are the only person standing in the way of your daughter's happiness."

Hearing this, Elijah got up to open the door, then he yelled for his daughter.

"Yes?" Margaret asked. "Daddy, you didn't kill Henry, did you?"

"No," Elijah replied. "Not yet. I have to ask you: is he the only man who will make you happy? Are there no other candidates I could suggest for you?"

"No," Margaret replied. "I know that's not something you want to hear, but Henry _is_ the man who will make me happy. There can't be anyone else."

Elijah sighed. "All right," he said. "Although I think your devotion is misplaced, if I can't change your mind, I have no choice but to go along with this folly."

"Really?" Margaret asked as she ran to hug Henry. "Thank you, Daddy!"

Elijah watched Margaret and Henry hugging, and caught Henry's eye for one last time. "I'll be watching you, Henry," he warned the boy. "I'll be watching you until you prove yourself worthy of being my son-in-law."

Henry inclined his head and then stood up, taking Margaret's hand. "Come on," he told her. "Let's get out of here, shall we?"

"Yeah," Margaret replied. "I'm sure Daddy doesn't want his office destroyed anymore."

They left the office, shutting the door behind them as Elijah sat back in his chair and ran his fingers through his hair and sighed in exasperation.

* * *

"You need to talk about Margaret and Henry?" Selina asked as she and Elijah prepared for bed that night. "Best to get it all out rather than keeping it bottled up inside you and letting it sit until you get so mad you explode."

"I can't say I'm happy," Elijah replied. "Do _you_ honestly think he's the right choice for her since he's such a scoundrel?" He paused and gave a humorless laugh. "What am I asking you for? Your whole love life prior to me _was_ scoundrels! You wouldn't be the best judge."

"Are you saying that I would let Margaret date an unsuitable man?" Selina asked.

"Why not?" Elijah asked. "You let Gregory turn into a werewolf and then set him loose on an innocent populace. You'll have to pardon me if I don't always trust your judgment."

"Well, if I make such bad decisions all the time, why did you ask me anyway?" Selina asked.

"Just to be polite," Elijah replied. "I know how testy you get when you feel like no one's asking your opinion."

Selina's jaw dropped. "What's that supposed to mean?" She asked.

"I'm trying to say you're not the most stable person!" Elijah replied. "You make terrible decisions, and without my stable hand, you'd be a big mess! Without me to civilize you, you're nothing more than an animal who gets sexual arousal from being hurt!"

"Hey!" Selina yelled. "You don't see me mocking _your_ sexual preferences, so why don't you lay off mine, all right? Now let's get to bed before you say anything _else_ that'll piss me off."

"Fine," Elijah replied. "Let's."

Selina and Elijah went to bed angry, but his feelings changed when he woke up around three in the morning because Selina had let out a yell in her sleep. He opened his eyes and when they adjusted, he saw Selina thrashing in the blankets beside him, and, he could swear he heard her sobbing. Finally, he turned on the light and put his hands on her to try and calm her, but she punched him instead.

"Selina!" He yelled as he moved his jaw. "Selina, wake up!"

Finally, she went still, seeming to become more aware. She let him put his arms around her, and she rested her cheek on his shoulder. "I had a nightmare," she said.

"I know," he said, wondering what she could have been dreaming about that was bad enough to make her cry. He ran his fingers through her hair. "You want to try and get back to sleep, or..."

"No," Selina shook her head and sniffled. "I think I need to go sit up for a bit. After that, I don't know if I'll be able to sleep again."


	13. A Secret Between Men

When Elijah woke up in the morning, he found that Selina was gone. Worried, he got up out of bed and left the bedroom to look for her. He found her making French toast in the kitchen, but strangely enough, when he put his arms around her waist to give her her morning kiss, she gasped and quickly moved his hands before picking up the soaking bread and dropping it into the pan so it could fry. Getting over his shock, he finally cleared his throat and said, "Selina, good morning."

She turned. "Good morning," she replied and then yawned.

"I think you should stay home from the bakery today and have a rest," Elijah suggested as she continued making pieces of toast and putting them on the plate.

"No, I can't," Selina replied. "It's not been open very long. I can't afford to take time off just yet."

"But you didn't sleep last night!" Elijah replied.

Selina had been looking down as she shoveled toast on his plate, but now she looked up at him, her eyes flashing. "Look!" She said angrily and threw his toast at him. "If I want to go to the bakery, I will! That's not up to you! Just leave me alone, would you?"

"All right, all right!" Elijah replied and backed away. "I'll leave you alone!"

"Good!" Selina replied. She ate her breakfast, dropped Ethan off at school, and then headed to the bakery, where, despite the bravado she'd shown Elijah earlier that day, she realized that she probably_ should_ have stayed home to sleep.

"Hey!" One of the bakers came up behind her on tapped her on the shoulder as she nodded off while holding a lit blow torch. "Wake up!"

"Oh, thanks," Selina replied and turned it off. "That could have been a disaster."

"Are you okay?" The woman asked. "You don't look like you've slept."

"Cause I haven't," Selina replied with a yawn, turning off the blowtorch and putting it down. "But I thought I should be here to support you guys cause this place hasn't been open very long."

"It wouldn't have killed us for you to take a day off to rest," the woman replied. "But a sleeping woman with a working blowtorch in her hand just might." She paused. "If you don't feel like you should go home, I'll go get you another cup of coffee. There's still some left in the pot."

"Thank you," Selina replied. "Thank you very much."

Her mood remained reasonably good throughout the rest of the day, until Elijah came to pick her up from work. "I heard you almost set this place on fire, cause you were too tired," he said. "What did I tell you about staying home from work today?"

"Oh, would you stop with the lecture already?" Selina asked. "I should have stayed home. I get it. Now, did you just come here to scold me, or was there a better reason?"

"I want to drive you home," Elijah replied. "If I don't, I'm afraid you'll drive off the road and crash into a tree."

"Fine," Selina replied. "But once we get home, you're gonna leave me alone, 'kay?"

"All right," Elijah replied. "They drove home in silence and without even thanking him for the ride when she got home, she went to their bedroom and slammed the door, not even coming out for dinner, leaving the really awkward dinner conversation to Margaret (Who, based on her father's scowling face, thought it wasn't the best time to bring up moving in with Henry), Elijah (who just ate without saying a word), and Ethan, who looked terrified.

After dinner, Ethan followed Margaret to her room cause he had to ask her a question. "Margaret," he said quietly, "Why are Mommy and Daddy mad at each other?"

"Oh, it just happens sometimes," Margaret replied, giving her little brother a reassuring hug. "Our parents are very strong-minded people and sometimes, situations come up where Mom has one opinion, and Dad has another, and it takes them awhile to work them out. Sometimes, they get mad and they fight, but once they get that out of their systems, they love each other again. It's nothing you need to be worried about."

"Can I sleep in here anyway?" Ethan asked, clutching Clementine tighter to himself than he had at dinner. "When they yell, it scares me."

"Sure," Margaret nodded and went to his room to get his pajamas. "No problem."

* * *

"Answer a question for me," Margaret said to Tristan, who had come to get more of his things to take over to Emily's. "How is it that you convinced Daddy to let you move in with Emily and her dad?"

"I didn't have to convince him at all," Tristan replied. "He understood why I married her and why I needed to be close to her, so he just let me go."

"Of course," Margaret sighed. "Probably cause you're a_ boy_."

"Why?" Tristan asked. "I mean, why are you asking me?"

"Cause I want to be with Henry and Daddy's kicking up a big fuss," Margaret replied.

"Well, I'm sorry," Tristan said. "I hope you can make him change his mind."

"Yeah," Margaret nodded. "Me too. If he was upset just by me and Henry being a couple, it'll make him have some sort of coronary when I say we have to move in together!"

"Why do you _have_ to move in together?" Tristan asked interestedly. "Why can't you wait? What's the big emergency?"

"Oh, I don't know, exactly," Margaret replied. "Something to do with magical politics, although it's probably obvious that I wouldn't need a good reason to move in with him. And since the reason has to do with magical politics, of course Daddy won't understand it and will think I'm just trying to be difficult. And then he'll get mad at me like he did at Annaliese when she showed up at my wedding with that Peter guy and he'll banish me forever. I _love_ Daddy. I don't want to be banished!"

"Well, then _talk_ to him!" Tristan replied. "Not saying you'll get the reaction you want, but...at least you will have tried."

"All right," Margaret nodded and took a deep breath before heading to Elijah's office and knocking on the closed door. "Yes?" He called.

"Daddy, it's me, Margaret," she called back. "Can I come in and talk to you?"

"All right," Elijah replied. "Come in."

Margaret entered and saw that her father looked tired and a little sad. "It may not be the right time to talk about what I need to talk about," Margaret said.

"No, as long as you're here, we might as well," Elijah replied. "I think I know what it's about. Do you want to talk about Henry?"

"Well, yes," Margaret nodded.

"All right," Elijah replied. "Have a seat."

"What's wrong, Daddy?" Margaret asked when she sat down. "What's going on between you and Mom _this _time?"

"She's been having nightmares she won't talk to me about, and she hasn't been sleeping, and she cries all night," Elijah replied. "And it's just...it's so frustrating that I don't know what's wrong. I want to be able to help her."

"She'll ask for your help when she's ready, I'm sure," Margaret replied.

"I hope so," Elijah said. "Now, about you and Henry?"

"I have to move in with him," Margaret replied. "Okay?"

"No, it's _not_ okay," Elijah replied. "You're too young!"

"But Laura lived with _her_ boyfriend when she was my age," Margaret pointed out.

"But that's cause she chose someone I approved of," Elijah replied. "That's the difference."

"I don't see why you don't approve of Henry," Margaret replied. "He stood up to you for me. That should tell you something."

"It's a point in his favor," Elijah replied. "But I'm still not entirely convinced."

"Well, fine!" Margaret replied. "You might not like him, and I tried to be nice and talk to you about this, out of respect. But I'm done! I'm going to be with the man I like!" She strode out of the room and slammed the door behind her, leaving Elijah sitting at his desk and longing for the days when women weren't so difficult.

* * *

"I am a _genius_!" Henry proclaimed as he and Margaret arrived at his parents' house.

"Oh, yes?" Lenora asked. "What's the reason this time?"

"He took on my father," Margaret said, her voice full of admiration. "And I think he won, at least for the moment."

"You didn't hurt him too bad, did you?" James asked.

"No!" Henry shook his head. "I mean, not more than he deserved anyway. I didn't *have* to hurt him. He hurt himself."

"I don't want to know what that means," James replied. "So, what are the two of you planning to do now?"

"Well, is moving in together still not an option, despite the fact that it was a guy from Grandma's campaign that suggested it?"

"Well, if you really feel you have to, we won't stop you," Lenora replied. "Since you're an adult and all. And it was discovered that Dr. Putnam's wife is a vampire now, although of course, whenever anyone asks him about it, all he says is 'no comment'."

"Well that's good," Henry replied. He sat down and Margaret said to Lenora, "I've really _tried_ to talk to Daddy, but even though he _knows _that Henry is the one who will make me happy, he still won't be happy about our relationship. He's just a big ball of hate! And that upsets me cause we used to be so close, you know? Until I dared to make my own choices about my life."

"Just give it time," Lenora replied. "If he loves you, he'll come around."

But Margaret's sad face upset Henry so much that that night, he made a secret call to her father. "I hope you're happy," he snapped at Elijah. "Margaret has been upset all day because you won't allow our relationship even though it's what will make her happy! You should be ashamed of yourself."

"Are you done?" Elijah asked once he'd finished.

"Yeah," Henry replied, breathing hard. "I guess I am!"

"Well, then I'll let you in on a secret," Elijah replied. "There's a reason why I won't condone your relationship with Margaret, at least to her face. It's because I'm doing you a favor. You _do _ realize, as you should have with Adam, that the second I endorse a man for her, she'll run as far away from that man as she possibly can?"

"Yeah," Henry nodded. "Okay..."

"So by condemning your relationship with Margaret, I'm making sure she stays with you," Elijah continued. "Do you understand that, Henry?"

"i-I guess," Henry replied, feeling a bit shocked.

"Good," Elijah replied. "Remember though, it's our little secret. Margaret can never know."

"All right," Henry replied, his voice shaky. "I won't say a word."


	14. Little Acts Of Rebellion

Things continued to be tough at home for Elijah, with Selina going to the bakery every day despite a lack of sleep, and not saying a word to him about what was wrong.

Finally, though, he found out what was wrong. Exhaustion had once again caused Selina to drift off at work, only this time, her negligence started a fire. Fortunately, no one was hurt, but when Elijah came to pick Selina up, she was sobbing and threw herself into her arms when she saw him.

"Go ahead and say it," she sobbed. "I'm an idiot. I should have stayed home like you said. All of this is my fault!"

Saying nothing (cause he was shocked by this display of emotion) he led her to his car and sat her down. "It'll be all right," he told her. "I'm sure you didn't _mean_ to set the bakery on fire."

"I wanted to sleep," she sobbed. "But I couldn't. I just couldn't!"

"Why not?" Elijah asked, getting in beside her and letting her rest her cheek on his chest.

"I kept dreaming of when I first became a vampire," she sniffled. "You say I'm like an animal who needs to be controlled now, but back then, I really _was_. And Doctor Stensrund, who turned me, he controlled me in the worst way possible."

"And when you say 'the worst way possible', do you mean what I think you mean?" Elijah asked, his eyebrows knitted.

"Yes," Selina nodded with a sniffle. "He...he violated me! Pushed me up against a wall, tore off my dress, and..." She couldn't finish and dissolved into tears instead.

"Well, where is this man?" Elijah asked. "I'd love nothing more than to kill him."

"You can't," Selina replied. "I already did. One night during a full moon, when I finally had the strength to fight back."

"Good for you," Elijah replied, squeezing her tight. "Good for you, darling."

"Thank you," Selina replied. "Can we...can we go home now?"

"Of course," Elijah replied. They got home and he let her to bed and tucked her in. He turned off the light and was about to go when she got up on her elbows. "Will you stay?" She asked. "Please?"

"All right," Elijah nodded and went back in the room, taking off his shoes and coming into bed with her. "And would you mind..." Selina continued, grinning now, "taking off your suit? It can't be comfortable sleeping dressed like that."

"Well, I admit it isn't really," Elijah replied. He undressed and came back in just jeans, crawling in bed beside her and unzipping as a loud, awkward giggle slipped from her throat. "Sorry," she apologized. But she was smiling as he took her in his arms. "It's nice to see you smile," he said, giving her a kiss.

"It's nice to be able to," she replied. "And I'm sorry I threw food at you and yelled. I didn't mean it. I was just cranky."

"I know you didn't mean it," Elijah replied, running his fingers through her hair. "But I said some things I shouldn't have too. You're not just some beast I civilized. You're a loving, affectionate, caring woman and the most beautiful one I've ever been with."

"No!" Selina said with a giggle as she flushed. "You're just saying that!"

"No, I mean it!" Elijah replied.

"Even more than Katherine?" Selina asked. "And speaking of which, it was because of Katherine that all that bad stuff with Doctor Stensrund happened. She had a witch working for her, and she told the witch to mess with his mind so he would get me out of the way while she seduced Damon to get something away from him that she needed."

"Is that so?" Elijah asked. "Well, no wonder you've always had a dislike for Katerina, if that's the reason behind it."

"There's no reason to bring that up, though," Selina replied. "I don't want things to be more awkward than they already are between her and us."

"All right, we won't talk about it, then," Elijah whispered in her ear as he got off her dress and her underwear and ran his hands down her body and kissed her neck before pushing into her. "Let's just snuggle instead."

* * *

"Well, well, well," Peter said as he peeked into Annaliese's window. Having finished at the boarding school, she was just moving into an apartment of her own. Hearing Peter's voice, she turned. "How did you find me here?" She asked. "What do you want?"

"Well," Peter replied, boosting himself through the window, which he'd only reached after climbing up the side of the apartment building. "I was just concerned for you, my little bee. You took me to your sister's wedding and I haven't heard from you since. And as for how I found you, it took a bit of looking, but I finally got lucky." He paused. "So...I haven't heard from you for too long."

"Well, _of course _you haven't!" Annaliese replied testily. "My taking you to Margaret's wedding, that wasn't supposed to mean anything! It was just to piss off my father!"

Peter chuckled. "Well, mission accomplished." He looked around. "What do you say I move in here? I've tired of living in my hideout. It's practically underground!"

"Don't even think about it!" Annalise replied. "I only have one bed!"

"That's okay," Peter replied, grinning and pushing a lock of his short dark hair out of his eyes. "I don't mind sharing."

"Oh, you wish!" Annaliese replied. "If you _insist_ on staying here, it's gonna be on the couch!"

"Well, that's a bit harsh," Peter replied.

"Tough luck," Annaliese said, finality in her voice. "It's your only option, take it or leave it."

"Oh, all right," Peter replied. "I'll take it."

She went to get him some blankets and a pillow and dumped them on the couch. "There," she said, her voice flat. "I hope you'll be comfortable."

"Thank you," Peter replied. He set up the blankets and the pillow, and then went to find Annaliese again. "You think your parents are ever gonna come visit here?" He asked.

She shrugged. "Well, I know my father's given up on me," she said. "And my mom...I don't know, but I'm not gonna count on it."

"Well, all right then," he said with a nod. "I guess it'll be just you and me, then."

"Yeah," Annaliese nodded. "I guess it will." She started to walk away from him and then paused. "Thank you for coming," she said. "I think I'll like having the company, even though I _know _it's something my perfect sister Margaret wouldn't do."

"You're welcome," Peter replied. "And I'm sure you're right."

* * *

"You know, your dad's okay with you moving in to my house," Henry told Margaret as he brought her stuff into his little house.

"He is?" She asked. "No he's not. That's not possible."

"Fine," Henry replied. "Believe what you want, but he told me himself that he was okay with it."

"Well, it doesn't matter anyway," Margaret replied. "I'm doing what I want to make myself happy, and that'll be enough." She headed up the stairs while Henry walked behind her and carried all the the bags she'd brought. "So where's our room?" She asked.

"'_Our_ room'?" Henry repeated with a grin.

"Yes!" Margaret replied. "I mean, I assumed you'd want to share a room with me when I moved in here."

"Oh, I'd show it to you," Henry replied. "But all these bags that I have to carry cause you didn't want to carry some of your own luggage are so heavy I can't move."

"Don't be passive aggressive," Margaret replied and took some of the bags. "There," she said as he stood up straight. "You have fewer bags. Now, show me the room!"

Chuckling to himself, Henry led Margaret to their bedroom. It was a big room, but it wasn't fancy, just like the bed was stable, but not elaborate.

"Here it is," Henry said. "I know it's not fancy, but it's a roof over our heads, anyway."

"It'll do," Margaret replied, looking around. "It looks cozy, at any rate." Then, to Henry's surprise, she put her bags down by the door, climbed up on the bed, and started jumping. "Hey, this is fun!" She cried as her dark hair bounced up and down on her shoulders (and other parts of her bounced too, causing Henry to stare and not look away.) Finally, he shook his head and got on the bed with her, holding her hand as they both jumped up and down.

"Why are we doing this?" He asked her.

"I had a whim," Margaret replied. "_And_ I wanted to test the mattress."

"You know," Henry said with a grin, "there _are_ other ways to test it."

"I see where you're going," Margaret replied. "But do you really want to risk hurting yourself while we're having sex because we engaged in wild sexual behavior before we were sure that the mattress was strong enough to handle it?"

"Well, you _do_ have a point," Henry conceded as he and Margaret stopped jumping and got off the bed. Then he grinned. "We'll be engaging in wild sexual behavior?"

Margaret grinned. "You never know."

They left the bedroom and Henry showed her all the other parts of the house. She was particularly interested in the library and the kitchen. "I know I don't cook," she said when they left the latter. "But I sort of want to learn."

"I know it's kind of small," Henry told her when the tour was over. "But I can make it bigger when when the need arises, so you don't have to worry about that."

"Oh, I wasn't," Margaret replied, sitting down in red leather arm chair. "I figured you had it all under control."

"Good," Henry replied, glad that she seemed comfortable about the layout and size of the house. It'd surprised him that she was so comfortable, cause he'd planned on having to fight with her and defend everything that he'd done, but to not have to was nice. They spent the rest of the day just sitting and staring at each other, with Henry getting up to make food when he remembered to.

When the doorbell to the house rang that night, Margaret jumped and went to hide.

"What in the world are you doing?" Henry asked, amused.

"It's my daddy coming to take me home!" She cried, running to hide under a table. "I know it! Don't tell him where I am, and just make him go away!"

"I told you, he's okay with you living here," Henry replied. "He's not gonna come and carry you off." Chuckling to himself, Henry went to answer the door and saw _his_ parents on the other side.

"Hey," Lenora said as she came in first and James followed. "I know we said we were gonna come and visit sometime. Sorry it took so long."

"Oh, it's all right," Henry replied. "Maggie, you can come out of hiding now. It was _my parents_ at the door and not yours!"

"Oh, all right!" Margaret crawled out from under the table and stood up, smoothing the wrinkles from her skirt. "Hello, James. Hello, Lenora. Where's Susanna? Didn't she come?"

"Well, she's a bit under the weather at the moment," Lenora replied. "Apparently, she and Marcel went to a club, and she took some sort of pill, so she's invisible."

"Oh, my gosh, really?" Henry asked, trying not to laugh.

"Yes," James nodded. "And she seems to be enjoying it immensely. She's in no hurry to turn back."

"Well, that's my baby sister for you," Henry told Margaret. "You never know what she's gonna get into."

"You _will_ be able to turn her back, right?" Margaret asked, feeling concerned.

"Oh, sure," Lenora nodded. "That's not gonna be the problem. The problem, since, as James said, she's having a great time, will be convincing her to turn back." She paused. "But anyway, we shouldn't be talking about Susanna all night." She looked around the living room appreciatively. "This is a very nice space, Henry. I like what you've done with it."

"What does Maggie's father think about her living here?" James asked Henry.

"He's okay with it," Henry replied. "He told me so."

"And even if he wasn't, it's my choice to be here, because Henry makes me happy," Margaret said resolutely. "And if Daddy and I can't come to some compromise (cause regardless of what Henry says, I don't believe Daddy will just give up without a fight), I'm gonna stay here, and he's just gonna have to deal with it."

"Good for you!" James replied.

But Elijah called that night to check up on Margaret. Henry took the call, and, as Elijah requested, didn't say a word to her about it, but let her carry on with thinking she was committing a major act of rebellion, even though that was not, in fact, the case.


	15. One Bad Choice After Another

Annaliese was surprised a few days later when she got a call on her cell phone from her mother. "Hi!" Selina said. "I just...I wondered how you were. I want to see you. Would that be okay?"

"You...you would?" Annaliese asked, trying to ease her self out of Peter's grip cause he'd come up behind her and put his arms around her waist. "You'd really want to come and visit me?"

"Yes," Selina nodded. "Is that all right? And if it is, I'll need your address. Are you living in a safe part of town?"

"Yes," Annaliese replied. "I am, I promise." She gave Selina the address, and Selina promised she'd see her in a few days. Annaliese made note of the date and ended the call. "You have to be out of here on Thursday," she told Peter.

"Why?" Peter asked.

"Cause my mom wants to come and visit," Annaliese replied. "And although she's had plenty of boyfriends that would have made her mother cry in the past, I don't know how she'd react to just finding out that you lived here with me. That's something I'm gonna have to reveal gradually."

"All right," Peter replied with a sigh. "I can think of things to do in the meantime, I guess."

"Good," Annaliese replied. "I hope so."

* * *

Luckily, Peter kept his word, and when Annaliese woke up on Thursday morning, there was no one in the bed beside her. She drank her coffee and ate her waffles alone, then showered, dressed, and went to get some takeout for when her mother came. She arranged it neatly on the kitchen table, finishing just as Selina rang the doorbell.

"Hi, Mom!" Annaliese exclaimed, giving Selina a hug. "Sorry you haven't heard from me in awhile."

Selina sighed. "I understand why you haven't called home but can...from now on, can you at least call _me_ every so often, even if you don't want to talk to your father? Just so I can know that you're all right?"

"Sure," Annaliese replied. "I should have done that before. I'm sorry."

"Well, that's fine I guess," Selina replied and sat down. "As long as you're okay."

Annaliese had gotten various types of Chinese, and as she and Selina each took a container and some chopsticks and began eating, Selina asked, "So, do you live here by yourself? Even though this _is_ a good neighborhood, that worries me a little."

"No, I have a roommate," Annaliese replied. "Someone I know from boarding school."

"Oh, that's nice!" Selina replied with a smile, then spooned some white rice into her mouth, along with some peanut chicken. "Who is it?" She asked when she swallowed. "Anyone we know?"

"Yes," Annaliese sighed. "It's Peter, okay? Go ahead and yell. I'm ready." She held out her arms.

Selina's eyes widened at the name, but she didn't yell. She just said quietly, "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"It's not so bad, really," Annaliese shrugged. "I mean, you had boyfriends who weren't so nice, right?"

"Yeah, but being with your father made me realize that when I was with all those boys, I was selling myself short," Selina replied. "I know it might seem cool to have a boyfriend like him now, but...don't you want someone who will actually love you back? I don't think Peter will be able to do that!"

"I'm not looking for a serious relationship now, Mom," Annaliese replied patiently. "Now I just want to have a little fun, like you did with Uncle Klaus. And when I _do_ want a real relationship, I'll be sure to pick a guy who loves me back. I'm not stupid. Give me some credit."

"Look," Selina replied. "I know you think I'm being clingy, irritating, and intrusive, but...I know what I'm talking about. I _know_ what it feels like to be in a relationship that's all sex and danger and no real love. It's okay for awhile, but it gets real old, real quick, and makes you miserable. I don't want you to have to go through that." She sighed. "But maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I should just step back and let you make your own mistakes in the hope that eventually, you'll see the light."

"So you're giving up on me just like Daddy, then, huh?" Annaliese asked, her face full of anger. "That's _really _nice!"

"I don't _want_ to give up on you!" Selina replied. "But since you insist on being with Peter, I don't know what to do about that!"

"How about saying 'Best of luck to you'?" Annaliese asked. "And 'I know you're responsible enough to make your own decisions?' Or even 'I trust you, Annaliese'?"

"I've been where you're gonna be too long to know that relationships like this are responsible or about trust," Selina replied. "I can't support this, Annaliese, I'm sorry. But take care of yourself. Don't do anything more that I've already done and wished I hadn't."

Although she didn't want it to happen, Annaliese could feel herself begin to cry. She threw all the Chinese food away and ordered her mother out the door. "Go, please," she said through tears. "Just _go_."

"All right," Selina replied and pulled her into a long hug. "I'm-I'm sorry it has to be this way, sweetie."

"But it _doesn't!_" Annaliese cried. "Don't you realize that?"

Selina sighed. "You can still call me whenever you want," she said. "But I just...no matter how hard I try, I cannot say that you've made a good decision here, Annaliese. I'm sorry." With one last long, pitying look at her daughter, Selina shut the door and left, leaving Annaliese to sob on the sofa until Peter came home.

"Didn't go well, did it?" He asked her.

"How did you guess?" Annaliese replied. "I thought she'd understand, but she's just as closed-minded as Daddy is. But at least _you're_ here."

"Yeah, I'm here," Peter replied, sitting beside her. "And you won't be rid of me, ever."

"You promise?" Annaliese sniffed.

"Yes, little bird," Peter replied. "I promise."

* * *

"So this is the new house," Tristan said as he and Emily came in. He grinned at Margaret. "I still can't believe you convinced Dad to let you move in here."

"I still don't understand it either," Margaret replied. "But it's definitely not something I want to question."

They all sat down, and then a beep emanated from Emily. "What's that?" Margaret asked. Emily had changed since they'd last seen her. Margaret was sure she was getting sick again.

"Oh, it's just something telling me that I need to take my medicine," Emily replied. Then she looked at Tristan. "Would you get me my pills out of my purse?"

"Yeah," Tristan nodded. "And I'll get you some water, too."

Henry followed Tristan into the kitchen and handed him a glass from the cupboard. "Is Emily all right?" He asked. "She doesn't look well."

"No," Tristan replied with a sigh. "The doctor says she's going down hill again."

"Well, that's easy to fix," Henry replied. "Give her blood!"

"You have no idea how much I want to," Tristan replied. "But she doesn't want that, and I won't force her to just for my sake."

"Well, I'm sorry," Henry told him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "If you ever...if you or she need anything, just give us a call."

"Thanks," Tristan nodded. He filled the glass with water and grabbed Emily's container of pills out of her purse. He brought it to her and watched with a pained expression as she took every pill.

"All right," she said cheerfully once she'd taken them all. "What should we do now?"

"Well, what are you up for?" Henry asked. "We wouldn't want to wear you out."

"Oh, don't worry about me," Emily replied. "I-I know I don't look my best, but really, I'm fine."

"All right," Henry replied doubtfully. "If you say so."

"Want a tour of the house?" Margaret asked.

"Sure!" Emily replied, standing up and pushing her brown hair out of her eyes. She took Tristan's arm as Margaret and Henry led them through the house, showing off all the rooms. Then, Henry got out some cupcakes he'd gotten from the bakery, and they ate them while they sat around and talked.

"How's your mother's new bakery going?" Emily asked Margaret. "I heard there was a fire there. Is everything all right?"

"Yeah, it's all fine," Margaret replied. "Mom had been having trouble sleeping, but she still insisted on going to work. She nodded off while holding a blowtorch for her mini creme brulees, and well...you can guess what happened after."

Emily sucked in her breath. "Yeah, I can. It's a good thing all that was only temporary and things are better now."

"Yeah," Margaret nodded after taking a bite of her red velvet cupcake. "Mom's glad too."

After awhile, Emily stood up and reached for Tristan's hand. "I think we need to go," she said with a yawn. "I'm a bit tired."

"All right, we'll go," Tristan nodded and took her hand in his, turning to his sister. "Thanks for having us," he said. "We'll find time to do it again."

"Well, come as many times as you like," Henry replied. "It's no bother to us at all. We'd enjoy it."

"All right," Tristan nodded. Margaret told her brother goodbye, and then Henry followed him and Emily out to their car. When they'd gone, Henry came back in, running his fingers through his hair. "I think," he said, "I think I'm gonna go lie down. Maybe take a nap. If that's all right with you."

"Sure," Margaret nodded. "I understand. Nap as long as you need to. I'll just be out here reading."

"Good," Henry replied. "See you in a bit."

* * *

Henry woke up from his nap a couple of hours later to the smell of smoke and the harsh ringing of the smoke alarm. "What the fuck?" He muttered under his breath, jumping out of bed and running out of the room. He got the alarm off and traced the smell of smoke to the kitchen where he found Margaret struggling with a pan of burnt eggs. "What's going on?" Henry asked. "You said you were just going to read!"

"I know I did," Margaret replied, looking distressed. "But you seemed so upset, and I wanted you to have a nice surprise when you woke up, so I tried to make you eggs. As you can see, it didn't go well."

"It was certainly a surprise," Henry replied. He magicked the mess away and got another couple of eggs out of the refrigerator, noting that the oven was still on. He turned it off and faced her. "Let me show you how to do it," he said patiently, putting butter in the pan and then getting out a bowl and some milk. "But what do you say we start with scrambled eggs? They're the easiest."

"Whatever you say, boss," Margaret replied and gave him a spank. "You're the one who knows what he's doing!"

"And just one more tip," Henry said.

"What?" Margaret asked.

"Don't spank me around an oven. It throws off my concentration, and that might lead to a fire that would equal the one at your mom's bakery, and we don't want that, do we?" Henry asked.

"No, we sure don't," Margaret replied. "Sorry."

"It's all right," Henry replied and kissed her hair. "Now, crack the eggs into the bowl, and then pour the milk in and give it a good stir before you pour that mix in the pan." Margaret followed the instructions, and soon had made her own bunch of scrambled eggs.

"You can have them," Margaret replied. "I'm not really hungry."

"Well, I'm honored," Henry replied and ate a spoonful after putting some salt on them. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Margaret replied. "I'm glad you like them."

* * *

"I think you and I should have people over," Selina told Elijah. "We never have people over. I'll make up some food, we can play some games...what do you say?"

"It depends who would be coming over," Elijah replied. "If it's Damon, forget it."

"I never said it was Damon," Selina replied. "What about Adrian and Helene? We haven't seen them in awhile. Or Alistair and Astrid? I'm sure Astrid could use a break after all the mess she's been going through."

"Sure," Elijah replied. "All right. I'll go call Alistair and see if he and Astrid can come."

"Yay!" Selina cheered.

"But in the mean time," Elijah continued, "What do you say we focus on each other for awhile?"

"All right," Selina replied. "Doing the usual thing...or do you want to try something a bit different?"

Elijah raised an eyebrow. "How different?"

"I'll show you," Selina replied. "But first I have to run an errand." She came back with a bag from a toy store and dumped the contents on the carpet. "Ta-da!" Selina proclaimed. Elijah leaned forward to read the name on the game box. "Twister?" He asked skeptically. "What in the _world_ is that?"

"It's a game," Selina replied. "It has a mat in it that's covered with different colored dots, and also a spinner. You spin the spinner and that tells you the colored dot that you have to plce your foot or hand on. It requires a lot of flexibility, but it's nothing more complicated than what you and I do in bed sometimes. I think you'll find it entertaining."

"I don't know," Elijah replied skeptically. "I'm not much for games."

"Oh, come on!" Selina said with a smile. "You won't even give it just a _little_ try? What if I show you how it's done?" She opened the box and lay the mat out, handing Elijah the spinner. Then, she went to go get Ethan.

"Want to play a game with me, sweetie?" She asked him. He looked up from the tea party he and Clementine seemed to be having. "Okay!" He said. He gave Clementine a kiss on the head and promised her he'd be back soon.

"I wasn't interrupting anything, was I?" Selina asked him.

"No," Ethan shook his head. "I can keep playing later. What game will we play?"

"I was thinking of trying to get your daddy to play Twister with me. He doesn't want to, but I thought if you and I showed him how fun it was, he'd change his mind."

"All right," Ethan replied. He and Selina went to the living room and positioned themselves on the mat. "All right," Selina told Elijah. "Give the spinner a spin and tell us where we're supposed to put our feet and hands!"

Smirking and shaking his head at their silliness, Elijah nonetheless gave the spinner a spin. "Left hand yellow!" He cried.

"Now move your left hand to a yellow circle," Selina told Ethan.

"All right," Ethan replied.

"Right foot blue!" Elijah called out for the next spin. Selina and Ethan put their feet in place. Soon they were both positioned in such a way that they looked as if they were going to fall over. It was at that point that the phone rang.

"As I'm the only one in a position to answer the phone," Elijah said, smirking and standing up, "I'll get it."

"Hurry!" Ethan called, his small body straining to stay balanced.

Elijah grabbed the phone and answered it just as he heard a thump and the sound of Selina groaning and swearing. "Hello?" He said.

"Hello, Father!" Gregory greeted from the other end of the line. "Elizabeth was just saying that she'd like to see you and Mother again, so is there a time we could come and visit?"

"Of course!" Elijah replied. "You know, your mother just mentioned that she wanted to have people over."

"Good!" Gregory replied. "So what day would work?"

"Well, today is Wednesday," Elijah said. "So what about Friday afternoon?"

"Sure!" Gregory replied. "Sounds wonderful. Elizabeth will be so happy."

"And will you be bringing your wife with you?" Elijah asked.

Gregory heard something in his father's voice. "Not if you don't want me to," he replied. "Are you all right, Father?"

"Yes," Elijah nodded. "But I just heard something awful about your mother's past that Katherine was a part of, and I don't know if I'm ready to face her yet."

"Well, what was it?" Gregory asked.

"She should be the one to tell you if you want to know," Elijah replied. "I'll see you and Elizabeth on Friday, Gregory." He then hung up the phone and went back to the living room where Ethan ran at him and threw his arms around his father's middle. "Mommy says I won cause she fell over first!" He said with a grin. "Will you play a round with us now?"

"If he plays with us," Selina asked, "who will spin the spinner? How about you two play and _I_ spin the spinner?"

"Sounds perfect," Elijah replied, and then came to whisper in her ear. "And then maybe, when we're alone, we can play a game together in private. Won't that be fun?"

* * *

"What did you do to my mother?" Gregory asked Katherine. "I was just talking to my father, and he was telling me that Mother told him some very disturbing things about her life, and that _you_ were responsible for them."

"Well, and did she say what those things were?" Katherine asked. "How specific was she?"

"Does it _matter?"_ Gregory asked. "Have you done so many horrible things to my mother that you can't keep track of them? No wonder she doesn't like you!"

Katherine sighed. "You should know by now that up until we met, I lived my life for _me._ It didn't matter who I had to use along the way just as long as I stayed alive, and it just so happened that your mother was the very important means to an end for me."

"_What happened_?" Gregory asked through his teeth.

"Are you sure you want to hear?" Katherine asked. "I don't think you do. I think it would just upset you."

Growling, Gregory grabbed hold of her and began to shake her so hard that her head snapped back several times. "Tell me!" He repeated.

"All right, all right, all right!" Katherine said and shut her eyes to try and stop the room from spinning and quell the urge she had to throw up.

"All right," she said one last time before she took a deep breath. "What went on between me and your mother, well...I suppose that some people would consider it bad...even if it really benefited me. For _years_, your uncle and your father were after me because I had within me the ability help your uncle activate his werewolf gene that he had apparently been _unable_ to activate for hundreds of years. I couldn't tell you why they had me in mind specifically, but they were very persistent. Then, one day while I was on the run, I met a warlock and told him my story. And to my amazement, he told me he knew of a way to help me. I just had to find another girl and bring her to him, and he would do a spell that would allow that girl to have what your father and uncle needed in my place. I did what he asked without hesitation, and as it turned out, the girl who became the other doppleganger was your mother."

"Really?" Gregory asked.

"Yep," Katherine nodded. "When she was born, I wormed my way into her household, then when she was a teenager, I lured away her fiance (cause he had something I needed, a necklace that had connections to the girl I'd kidnapped to serve my punishment. If I hadn't gotten my hands on the necklace, there would have been dire repercussions for me). Keeping your mother away wasn't hard. She was pregnant the majority of the time I was seducing her fiance, so she had to stay with the town doctor who, luckily enough, was a vampire himself. After your mother had her baby, I had a witch I knew put a spell on him so he would believe that he had romantic feelings for your mother, and turn her into a vampire. Although vampires couldn't be used in your uncle's transformation ceremony (which is why I turned myself in the first place) I knew from experience that since your mother was a vampire with an inactive werewolf gene, if she were to be bitten, it would just turn her human again, which is something that your uncle knew too, thankfully. So, I had my witch hoodwink the doctor and he turned your mother in what I heard was a very traumatizing and painful process for her. But she killed the doctor eventually though and got out, and she seems to have recovered enough since then, so there you go." Katherine finished her speech and gave a smug nod.

"You-you condemned my mother to pain and torture just to spare your own life?" Gregory asked, his lip twitching.

"Yeah," Katherine nodded. "I did."

"You selfish bitch!" Gregory replied and began choking her. She let this go on for a bit and then punched him in the gut so he would be forced to let her go. "You should thank me," she told her husband. "If I hadn't done what I did, you wouldn't have been born. You _do_ realize that, right?"

Gregory narrowed his eyes at her. "Get out," he whispered. Then he pulled himself to his feet, picked her up, and literally threw her out the door, shutting it behind him with satisfaction and locking all the doors so Katherine couldn't get back in before he went to tell Elizabeth that she would soon be visiting her grandparents.


	16. A Damsel In Distress

Selina was busy packing up baked goods to take to the bakery when all of the a sudden the doorbell began ringing as if someone were leaning on it. Sighing, Selina stepped away from the oven (which wasn't on) and went to answer to door, her eyes narrowing when she saw who was on the other side. "What do you want, Katherine?" She asked.

"Your son kicked me out, and I need a place to stay," she replied. She tried to make her way in, but Selina still blocked the door. "What makes you think you'll be allowed to stay here?"

"Oh, you know your husband," Katherine replied with a grin. "Always happy to help a lady in distress, that man."

"Well, _he_ may be, but _I'm_ not," Selina replied. "I'm sure there are lots of nice hotels you can force yourself into around here."

"I don't _want_ to go to a hotel," Katherine replied.

"Then find a nice park bench!" Selina snapped and tried to push Katherine away from the door as Gregory had. But at that moment, Elijah appeared. "My word," he said. "What's going on?"

"Gregory kicked me out!" Katherine called. "Can I stay with you until he takes me back, Elijah?"

Elijah rubbed his temples as Katherine stared at him hopfully and Selina cast him a murderous glare while they both waited for his answer.

"So what you say, Elijah?" Selina finally said. "Can she stay?"

"Yeah, can I stay?" Katherine asked eagerly.

"You don't _need_ to stay!" Elijah replied. "You have a home, and you have a husband. Go back to him. You don't need me when you have my son."

"But I told you he kicked me out!" Katherine replied. "He won't just let me back in!"

Elijah sighed and said, "I'll call him and tell him how important it is that he does so. He wasn't supposed to bring Elizabeth over for a couple of days, but I'm sure he won't mind coming early. Bearing that in mind, Katerina, you stay put, and Selina, just to make this easier, you go and do whatever you need to do elsewhere. Like the bakery."

"Fine," Selina replied. "And I suppose if it's absolutely necessary, she can stay for the night, or at the most two, but that's it!"

"Just go," Elijah said through his teeth. Selina then turned on her heel and strode out the door to go to the bakery for the remainder of the day while Elijah called Gregory and told him to come and reconcile with his wife.

"But I don't _want_ to!" Gregory cried. "At least not yet. Have her tell you what she did to Mother and you'll know why!"

"I'm already aware of the wrongs Katherine has committed against your mother," Elijah replied. "And although they _do_ anger me, and I'm glad they anger you as well, you won't be helping your mother at all by pushing Katherine away. In fact, since Katherine's over at our house right now begging to be allowed to have a room until you take her back, you might just be making things _worse_ for your mother."

"Well, that certainly wasn't my intention," Gregory replied. "But I'm still angry. You can spare me one night, right? I promise I'll come collect Katerina in the morning."

"Only one night?" Elijah asked. "That's all? Do you _promise_?"

"Yes," Gregory replied. "I promise."

"All right, then," Elijah replied. "I'll see you tomorrow, then. Early."

Gregory agreed and then Elijah ended the call. "So, here's the plan," he said firmly to Katherine. "Gregory has consented to come collect you, but he says he needs a night to prepare himself. So you'll stay here tonight, but you and I will have no contact whatsoever. Do you understand that, Katerina?"

"Yes," Katherine rolled her eyes. "I get it. Just show me a room."

"I doubt you get it really," Elijah replied. "Now come with me."

* * *

As Selina cleaned up the bakery for the night, she heard a knock on the door. "We're closed!" She cried without looking up. But then she looked up and saw Henry and Margaret waving from the other side.

"Well, that's a different circumstance, then," she said, and unlocked the door to let them in.

"Sorry we showed up so late," Margaret replied. Then she held out a muffin she'd wrapped up in plastic wrap. "Here, have this," she said. "I made it."

"You did?" Selina asked. "When did you start cooking?"

"Just recently," Margaret replied. "Is Daddy coming to pick you up soon?"

"I have to call him and tell him whether or not I want to come home," Selina replied.

"You're fighting _again_?" Margaret asked. "But you just made up!"

"It's not a fight," Selina replied. "Not really. Gregory threw Katherine out, so she came to the house asking for a place to stay, and he told her no, and I just...I said that she could stay for a day or two while I spent the night somewhere else. It's not gonna be forever."

"Well, where are you gonna stay?" Margaret asked. "You can stay with us if you want."

"I wouldn't want to be an inconvenience," Selina replied.

"You won't be," Henry replied. "Just come on."

Selina followed them to Henry's car and they drove back to Henry and Margaret's house. "This is a cozy little place," Selina said when she got out. "Are you sure there's room for me?"

"Henry can add more rooms when he needs to," Margaret replied. "It's really not a problem."

On the way into the house, Selina unwrapped the muffin Margaret had given her and took a bite. It was chocolate chip, and while it had its issues (being slightly burnt mostly) it was still a really good first effort.

"This is a really good muffin!" Selina complimented her daughter as she threw the wrap in the trash.

"Is it?" Margaret asked. "Good. I was worried that it would be terrible because I accidentally burned it."

"Oh, it's not so bad," Selina replied. "No one gets things perfect on their first try. Do you have any more?"

"Over by the oven," Margaret pointed. "You can have all of them if you want." Selina went to get a few more, then took her phone out of her pocket and called Annaliese to apologize for her outburst the other day. She got her daughter's voicemail, and after clearing her throat, Selina said, "Annaliese, sweetie, it's your mother. If you saw my number and chose not to answer, I understand because of what happened when I came to your house for lunch the other day. I behaved badly and sounded more like your father than myself, and I'm sorry. If you think that Peter is the right man for you at this point in your life (or forever, whatever the case may be) then I wish you the best of luck. Maybe he shows you a side of himself that he'll never show anyone else, and is actually a caring person, even if it's only just for you. I just want you to be happy, sweetie. I love you." She was about to end the call when the line clicked and Annaliese came on. "Mom?" She asked. "Is that really you? I thought you'd never want to talk to me again after last time!"

"Oh, of course that's not the case!" Selina replied. "I was going through a thing when I came to see you. In fact, it probably would have been best for me to delay lunch in light of that, looking back. See, some of my bad experiences with Katherine made me have nightmares and brought back a lot of bad memories that I had buried, which made me upset, and I took it all out on you. That's what happened, and again, I'm sorry."

"I wondered what was going on with you to make you so angry," Annaliese replied. "I can't say I wasn't hurt, but now that you've explained everything and were nice enough to apologize, I forgive you."

"Really?" Selina asked.

"Really," Annaliese replied. "I wish it were that easy with Daddy."

"Well, sweetie, sometimes people will just be how they are, and you can't please them," Selina replied. "So you have to stop trying so hard and make yourself happy instead. That's what I did with my mother, and it was the best decision I ever made."

"But I won't stay away like you did," Annaliese promised. "We'll talk on the phone at the very least, and when you feel like it (if you ever do), you can came to my place again and meet Peter. He's really not so bad if you're me."

"I don't doubt that," Selina replied, remembering the happier times with Klaus and Damon. Annaliese then ended the call and Henry came in and asked Selina if she wanted to see her room.

"Sure," Selina replied. picking up Margaret's muffins to take with her. "And thank you so much for taking me in at the last minute like this," she thanked her son in law. I appreciate it."

"Not a problem," Henry replied. He led her to her room, which was a distance away from his and Margaret's. "I put you here so Margaret and I don't disturb you," Henry replied. "I hope that's okay."

Selina grinned. "As long as you two are being careful, I don't mind at all," she replied.

* * *

"It's so nice that I can stay," Katherine said as she put her suitcase on the bed Elijah picked out for her.

"Well, now that you're here, I don't have a lot of choice, do I?" Elijah asked. "I can't very well say 'no'. But let me tell you, Katerina. I'm_ not _happy about this."

"You sound just like Gregory," Katherine replied. "If you're mad that I left him, may I remind you again that he was the one who kicked_ me _out all because he forced me to tell him about all the stuff I did to Selina when I really didn't want to."

"And_ that's _why I'm angry as well," Elijah replied and fluffed the pillow rather forcefully.

"You know," Katherine said to him, her voice breathy as she pulled her shirt down to expose a bra strap. "If you want to take your anger out on me, I'd be more than happy to let you."

"Save your breath, Katerina," Elijah replied. "I won't let you into my bed tonight or ever. There's only one woman allowed there and she's not staying in her own house tonight because of _you_!"

"Well, if Selina was considerate, she'd call and let you know her whereabouts, but I guess she's not." Katherine began taking off her clothes until she stood in front of him, naked. "These sheets are gonna feel so good against my skin," she said, rubbing a corner against herself. "Not as nice as the fire that was lit during that cold night you and I spent in that cabin you know when, but still, really, really nice."

"Good night, Katerina," Elijah replied sharply, then slammed the door shut and tried to calm himself down by pacing in his office all night so he wouldn't fall asleep and dream of the wrong woman.

It was the ringing of his cell phone that interrupted his troubled thoughts and brought him back to the present. "Hello?" He said, a little disconcerted.

"Hi," Selina replied. "I just wanted to call and let you know that I'm staying with Margaret and Henry tonight. I'm sorry it took me so long to tell you."

"I got hold of Gregory," Elijah said. "He's coming to collect Kater-I mean, Katherine, in the morning, and then we'll be able to move past this whole mess."

"All right," Selina replied. "Which bed did you give Katherine? Not _ours_, right?"

"Of course not, darling," Elijah replied. "What do you think I am, an idiot?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "But she's very sneaky, so who knows what she might try to get exactly where she wants to be?"

"She might try," Elijah replied. "But I'll keep my guard up," Elijah told her firmly. "There's only one woman who is allowed in my bed, and that's you."

"Damn right," Selina replied. "Goodnight, Elijah."

But despite his assurances, Selina couldn't sleep that night cause visions of Katherine and Elijah having sex in her bed keep popping up in her mind, despite the fact that Selina fought so valiantly to make them go away. When she came down to breakfast the next morning, her bad night was written all over her face.

"Have trouble sleeping?" Henry asked.

"What gave it away?" Selina asked dryly, sitting down and pouring herself a huge cup of coffee.

"What made it so hard for you to sleep?" Margaret asked. "Were you thinking about Daddy and Katherine?"

"Yes!" Selina replied, her eyes narrowed. "I really tried not to, but it didn't work."

"Sorry," Margaret said.

"It's okay," Selina replied and took a sip of her black coffee, making a face. "It's not your fault. Damn this is gross. I definitely need to put milk in it." She went and did so, ate some cereal, drank some blood, and then, after she finished getting dressed, Elijah called to tell her that Gregory had come to get Katherine.

"All right," Selina replied. "I'll be there in a few minutes." She ended the call and went to see Margaret and Henry. "Your father says it's all right for me to come home now," she said. "Thanks for letting me spend the night."

"No problem," Margaret replied. "I wish it had been better for you."

"Eh," Selina shrugged that away. "Shit happens sometimes." Henry drove her home and went Selina went inside, she could hear Katherine and Gregory arguing.

"...You tried to seduce my father?" Gregory yelled. "How could you do that? What could I have done that made you hate me enough to hurt me like that?"

"Well, why did you hold something I did to your mother more then a century ago over my head?" Katherine yelled back. "Couldn't you have just let it go? You pissed me off, so of course I was gonna take revenge!"

"All right, all right!" Elijah yelled as Selina poked her head into the office where the three of them were. "Now that we've gotten all of our feelings out, let's talk about the really important thing: Katherine, do you still love Gregory?"

"Yes," Katherine replied. "Even when he's being a dork who hurt my feelings!"

"And Gregory, do you still love Katherine?" Elijah asked. "Would you be willing to take her back?"

"Yeah, I wouldn't have come here to get her if I didn't," Gregory replied.

"Well good then," Elijah replied. "You love her, she loves you, and you're both sorry about what happened. Wonderful."

"I guess," Gregory huffed and stood up. "Let's go, Katerina."

"Fine," Katherine replied. "Since you asked so nicely and all."

Gregory's eyes narrowed, although he was smirking now. "I have much more to say on the subject," he replied. "And I'm gonna tie you up so you'll have to listen and can't run off."

"Well, all right, then," Katherine sighed, taking Gregory's hand. "And if you have to get rough with me, I understand that too. Cause I _really_ misbehaved. But that'll teach you to go and hurt my feelings..." Their voices drifted off as they left the office and headed toward the front door.

"So...how was your evening?" Elijah asked Selina when she came to sit on the chair across from his desk.

"Horrible," Selina replied. "I had dreams about you and Katherine. I could hear you with her in our bed, but the door was locked and I couldn't come into the room and kick her out. She was laughing and you both sounded so happy..." Her lip jutted out as she looked at her husband. "Is this what it feels like for you when you see me with Klaus and Damon?"

"Yes," Elijah nodded. "It is. And I promise that in reality, it didn't happen. I mean, she _did_ make some advances, of course, because she's Katherine, and that's how she is, but I in no way reciprocated them. Trust me on this."

Selina nodded. "I do," she said. "I know you'd never deliberately hurt me. Even when I've been bad, you never have."

Elijah nodded. "And even though nothing happened between Katherine and me, I have to admit, it gives me a gentle thrill to think you believe something did and it made you horribly jealous. It's touching."

"Yes, well, as touching as it may be, I never want to go through it again," Selina replied, then leaned forward to kiss him. "You either?"

"Of course," Elijah replied and came around to take her in his arms. "Me neither."


	17. Always And Forever

"What are you doing with that box?" Selina asked as she watched Elijah carry a box to his office.

"Well," Elijah replied as Selina opened his office door for him and he went and put the box on his desk. "Doing my memoirs made me think of another project I needed to take on."

"And what's that?" Selina asked.

"I'd like to transcribe all my diaries," Elijah replied. "So many of them are old and on the verge of falling to pieces, and I don't want to lose my past."

"I could do it for you," Selina replied. "You know, you could read out loud to me, and I could type."

"I don't know if that's such a good idea," Elijah replied. "You _do_ realize that there will be periods where I talk about myself and Katherine? And considering what we just went through, I don't want to have to make you read about it too."

"Well, as long as it's in the past, I can handle it," Selina replied. "You were around almost nine hundred years before I was even born. I respect that you had a life before me. Just let me do this for you. Please?"

"Oh, all right," Elijah replied. "You can type my memoirs."

"Thank you!" Selina grinned and kissed him. "So do I start now?"

"I think so," Elijah replied. "There's a lot to cover, but I have all the boxes of material ordered chronologically, so it will be easy to do, I think."

"All right," Selina nodded. "So go get your typewriter and-" She paused. "Wait. Would you mind if I read some of your journals over first? You know, so I can get used to your handwriting?"

"All right," Elijah replied. "But be careful. My early journals are hundreds of years old and fragile. Don't ruin them before you have the chance to put their contents in a more permanent format."

"I know," Selina replied and began gently rooting around in the box. "I'll be careful, I promise."

* * *

She read the journals throughout the day, and finally decided to go see Alistair and show him what she had cause she thought he'd be interested. "Elijah is letting you handle his journals?" Alistair asked skeptically. "You're not going to wreck them, are you?"

"No, I'm not!" Selina replied. "Why does everyone think I will?"

"Past experience," Alistair replied. "Sometimes, your attention span is rather short."

"Well, I _will_ be careful this time!" Selina replied.

"We have to be on our guard today especially," Alistair replied. "Helene and Adrian have me watching Liam and helping him with his magic, and we don't want anything to go wrong in that regard, do we?"

"Okay, Grandpa," Liam said, coming in and clutching a yellow rubber ball. "I got the ball off the table." He saw Selina and smiled. "Hi, Grandma!"

"Hi, Liam!" Selina replied and came to hug him. "How are you?"

"Sad because Mommy and Daddy and me have to move away," he said.

"You do?" Selina asked. "Well, I'm sure it won't be so bad, and that there's a good reason for it."

Liam followed Selina to the table and peered at the journal that Selina had been looking at, one written in the early twelfth century. "What's _that_ thing?" He asked.

"Just something your uncle wrote," Selina replied. "Try not to touch it, sweetie. It's fragile."

But despite this warning, Liam touched it anyway, a hard stab of his finger on the page that send sparks of magic going every which way, and all of a sudden, there was a flash of light that carried Selina off with it. When she was aware again, she found herself in a field amongst a bunch of animals and heard a noise. Getting up, she followed the noise until she found herself staring at the back of a person with flowing blond hair who was making noises like they were gnawing on something. Selina tried to get a better look, and as she moved forward, a twig cracked under her feet and startled the man, who turned around to face her, his eyes angry, his mouth covered with blood.

"Nicky," Selina breathed, backing away as Klaus came toward her and grabbed her by the hair, dragging her away, and not letting her go until they arrived at what seemed to be a nicely made up camp.

"Niklaus!" Elijah's voice rang out sharply. "Who is that you have there? Put her down!"

Klaus let out a growl and shoved her roughly on the ground. "She saw me feeding," he told Elijah. "And she could be in league with _them._ We have to kill her. It's the only way to keep ourselves safe."

Selina decided to not say a word and stay on the ground, so when Elijah (his face bearded, and his hair much longer and unkempt than usual) came to peer at her, she was looking up at him.

"I wouldn't say we need to _kill_ her, Niklaus," He replied, helping her to her feet. "She looks harmless."

"Oh, spare us, Elijah," Anna said, coming up behind Klaus, her long blonde hair flowing behind her. "Don't tell us that you're making this peasant into another one of your acts of charity."

"I would tread _very_ lightly, if I were you, Anna," Elijah told her firmly. "Don't think I don't know about that relationship you have going on with that man who could very well be a vampire hunter. At this point, you're putting us more in danger than she is!"

"Roberto loves me," Anna proclaimed. "He'd _never_ betray us."

"You're a fool, sister," Klaus told her with a smirk. "You shouldn't trust anyone."

"Your existence must be so sad, Niklaus," Anna replied, going into the tent and leaving Selina alone with Klaus and Elijah. With his sister gone, Elijah turned his attention back to his future wife. "Can you...can you speak?" He asked her. "What's your name?"

Selina pursed her lips and shook her head.

Elijah looked her over and, since she was still wearing her normal clothes, said, "You poor girl. You must be a prostitute. You're not fit for much else, are you?"

Selina just shook her head and tried her best to look pathetic.

"Well, we can't just leave you out in the open, can we?" Elijah asked. "Come with me. We'll get you some proper clothes and you'll be safe."

Selina just gave him a smile and let him lead her to the place where he was staying. He went and stole a blue dress from Anna and gave it to Selina to put on. Once she was dressed, he asked her what her name was. Selina, with her vow of silence, didn't know how to respond, so she just shrugged.

"You don't know what your name is, either?" Elijah asked, running his fingers through his hair. "My goodness, you poor creature! How do you feel about the name Bianca?"

Selina nodded and Elijah said, "All right, then, Bianca. Stay here while I go talk to my brother and sister, all right?"

Selina nodded and he left to go talk to Klaus and Anna.

"_When_ are you going to let us kill that girl?" Anna asked. "It's bad enough you're letting her wear my clothes."

"We aren't going to kill her," Elijah replied. "I'm going to give her some money and send her on her way."

Anna and Klaus looked at one another and sighed. "You _need_ to get over this habit of picking up every stray who comes along, brother," Klaus told Elijah as calmly as he could. "It's going to get us in trouble one day."

"Well, between your less than careful killings and Anna consorting openly with vampire hunters, I very much doubt that it'll be _my _ actions that will get us in trouble, Niklaus," Elijah replied calmly. "Bianca won't be here forever, so be kind to her."

"'Bianca'?" Anna repeated. "You gave it a name? You know you can't do that cause it means you're attached!"

"Of course he is," Klaus replied. "But he's the only one."

Elijah gave his siblings a pitying stare because they would never understand what it was like to be kind to a fellow being. He walked around for a bit and when he returned, he felt alarm when he saw Klaus and his Bianca tussling on the floor. "Let her go, Niklaus!" He cried, trying to pull his brother away. "She's a poor, defenseless girl who's done nothing to you!" But then, to his surprise, Bianca bared a set of fangs and began to do a pretty decent job of fighting back against his brother, something that he was _not _expecting. Sweaty and bleeding, she finally managed to get out of his grip, then ran to Elijah, who put his arms around her.

"You see, Niklaus?" He asked. "You nearly killed one of our own kind. I hope you're proud of yourself!" Klaus rolled his eyes and skulked away without apologizing, and Elijah let Selina stay with him for the night, even taking her to bed with him. After they'd had sex and Elijah had fallen asleep, Selina lay awake, content and relaxed. The next morning, Elijah gave her a small bag full of money for what she'd done the night before, and told her that it was safer for her to go on her way than stay with him. With a sigh, she began to walk away, then, when Elijah and his siblings were out of sight, she began to a frantic voice, the voice of Alistair himself. Suddenly, a portal opened up in front of her with Alistair's voice echoing frantically in her ears. Then, she was pulled into the portal, and found herself sitting at Alistair and Astrid's kitchen table and feeling nauseous. "Well, that was fun," she said after a drink of water.

"Sorry," Alistair replied. "That wasn't supposed to happen. Are you all right? You better go before anything else happens to you."

"All right," Selina nodded. "That sounds about right to me."

She went home and began typing up the diary, and when Elijah came in, he smiled at the progress she was making. "Have you read anything interesting?" He asked.

"As a matter of fact, yes," Selina replied with a smile. "Do you remember meeting a prostitute named Bianca in the early twelfth century?"

Elijah gave her a look and came to sit next to her. "You don't have to be jealous," he said. "I knew her a long time ago. If you're going to be jealous about every woman I've been with, maybe you shouldn't be typing up my diaries."

"I never said I was jealous," Selina replied. "I just asked if you remembered a prostitute named Bianca."

"Yes, very vividly," Elijah replied. "Mainly because she was one of the first people I'd seen outside our family to take on Niklaus without fear."

"Do you remember what she looked like?" Selina asked slyly.

"Actually, yes," Elijah replied. "And oddly enough, she looked so much like you. You wouldn't happen to have had any relatives in Italy around that time, would you?"

"Well, actually I did," Selina nodded. "An English ancestor of my father's married an Italian girl, but Bianca, she wasn't an ancestor of mine."

"Of course she was!" Elijah replied. "She looked way too much like you to not be!"

"Well, she wasn't," Selina replied with a grin. "She _was_ me."

"What? Really?" Elijah asked. "Really and truly you? Well if that isn't the strangest coincidence!"

"I know, right?" Selina replied. "I'm gonna have to thank Liam for having such an itchy magic finger cause he made it possible for us to meet hundreds of years before I was even born. And by the way, thank you for sticking up for me against Klaus and Anna."

"You're welcome," Elijah replied. "Even though they only saw you as one of my pity rescues at the time, if I hadn't saved you, they would have lost someone very important to themselves too."

"No kidding," Selina replied. "No kidding."

* * *

"Margaret said you and Dad were fighting again," Laura told Selina, striding through her and Elijah's front door later that same day. "And Gregory mentioned it too. What's going _on_?"

"Nothing is going on!" Selina told her. "Gregory and Katherine had a fight and he kicked her out, so naturally, the first place she came to for shelter was here."

"Oh, my god!" Laura cried, her jaw dropping. "Is she an idiot, or what? Daddy didn't let her stay, did he?"

"Just cause I'm a good sport, I let her stay for one night, but he didn't sleep with her or anything," Selina replied.

"So what did _you _do while she was invading your territory?" Laura asked.

"I stayed with Margaret and Henry," Selina replied. "And aside from the fact that I got no sleep, it was an okay night."

"Are things okay between you and Dad?" Laura asked. "Cause I am _more_ than okay with telling Charlie that he has to stop playing with Elizabeth until this whole matter gets fixed up."

"No, don't torture Charlie like that," Selina replied. "Everything is fine."

"Okay," Laura replied. But she still looked suspicious. Later, when she got home, Charlie asked if he could go play with Elizabeth.

"All right," Laura replied. "But your daddy will have to take you this time. Or we'll call Uncle Gregory to come take you. Cause I don't know if I can go."

"Why not?" Charlie asked.

"Because Elizabeth's mother and I don't get along all that well," Laura replied stiffly. "And I just found out she did something a long time ago that made me very upset. And I won't tell you what it is," she added firmly as Charlie opened his mouth to ask. "So don't ask."

Eventually, Edward took Charlie over to Gregory and Katherine's and the two of them played outside. As Katherine watched them running around from the kitchen window, she asked Gregory, "Why do you think it was that Edward brought Charlie over instead of Laura?"

"Now _that_ is a stupid question," Gregory replied. "My sister is probably still angry with you about going over to my parents' house and trying to get with my father."

"Everyone else is over that," Katherine replied. "Why can't _she_ be?"

Well, I don't know," Gregory replied. "But I want you to try and be understanding, all right? She _is_ my sister, after all."

A few hours later, much to Gregory's surprise, Laura showed up at his and Katherine's front door. "If you need me to take Charlie home now," she said, "I will."

"I don't know if Charlie and Elizabeth are done playing yet," Gregory told her. "And there's really no rush for him to go home." He paused. "But you can stay, if you want."

"No, I-I wouldn't want to intrude," Laura said.

"It's not an intrusion," Katherine said to Gregory's surprise after a few seconds. "If our kids can get along, so can we." She paused. "And I'm sorry about what I did to your mother."

Laura sighed. "I guess...I shouldn't even be as upset as I am," she said. "It all happened way before I was born, and Gregory was born, and Mom and Dad were married. It's not like you were purposefully trying to ruin my life."

"Just your mom's," Katherine replied. "But I had my reasons, and it all worked out for her in the end, right? She became a huge Original family groupie, and not many vampires can say that! _And_ if I hadn't done what I did, you never would have been born, so...even the worst things can lead to something good, I guess."

"Yeah," Laura replied, sitting down. "I guess."

"Want some tea?" Gregory asked her.

"Sure," Laura replied. "Thanks."

He brought her some apple cinnamon tea, and as she drank it, Elizabeth and Charlie came into the kitchen. "Can Charlie spend the night?" Elizabeth asked her mother. Katherine looked at Laura. "Would that be all right with you?"

Laura gave Katherine a long look, then eyed her son. "All right," she said at last. "He can spend the night."

"Wonderful!" Katherine said. "We'll bring him back safe and sound tomorrow."

"You and Dad have a good night to yourselves!" Charlie called as Laura finished her tea and then left to go spend the night with Edward.

* * *

Selina wanted to take a break, so she asked Henry and Margaret to watch over the bakery for her for a couple of days.

"You don't have to bake anything," Selina assured her. "Between what I've already done and what my workers do, all the food will get made. So, will you do it? I'll pay you."

"Sure!" Margaret replied. Then paused. "But first, I should ask Henry." She went and found Henry and asked him if he'd help at the bakery with her.

"Seriously?" Henry replied in amazement. "Grandma is letting us watch the bakery all by ourselves?"

"Yes!" Selina said from the phone. "Are you interested?"

"Well, of course!" Henry replied, taking the phone from Margaret. "Now, are you sure that you trust a guy who as a kid ate an entire cake by himself for TV cameras to handle baked goods without supervision?"

"I would hope I could," Selina replied. "But I'm sure Margaret wouldn't let you overstep and make yourself sick."

"Yeah," Henry replied, looking fondly at Margaret. "She's good that way. So if it's okay with Margaret, it's okay with me. We'll watch the bakery for you."

"Great!" Selina replied. "Stop by tomorrow and I'll give you all the ins and outs."

* * *

When Henry and Margaret showed up at the bakery, Selina gave them a quick tutorial before it opened, then headed out. The day was busy as usual, but with Henry's powers, they made it through easily, not feeling the least bit tired, even at closing time.

"All right," Margaret said after she and Henry had cleaned up. "I'm ready to go home. Are you?"

"I don't know," Henry replied. "We could have some fun here."

"'Fun'?" Margaret repeated. "It's an empty bakery!"

"But there's frosting!" Henry replied.

"So?" Margaret asked. "What are we supposed to do with that?"

"I don't know," Henry replied. "But I bet I could think of something."

"I don't see where you're going with this, but if you absolutely feel the need to stay, we'll stay, I guess," Margaret sighed. "It was nice that your parents came by. They seemed really happy that you were working."

"Yeah," Henry replied as he undressed. "They got some treats for Susanna too, but since she's invisible, I don't know how she'll eat them." Once all his clothes were in a pile, he zapped up some frosting and said to Margaret, "Don't you think you're a little overdressed?"

Margaret frowned. "You seriously want me to get undressed _here?_ But this is practically in public!"

"Relax!" Henry replied. "The blinds are down, the doors are locked, no one will see you. Where's your sense of adventure?"

"Fine," Margaret sighed. "But this is unsanitary, isn't it?"

"No, I cleaned the floor," Henry replied. But he zapped up a mat so she wouldn't be directly on the tile.

Giving Henry a look, she undressed and lay down on the mat as he instructed, then, he covered her with frosting, then slowly licked it off her body.

"Oh, golly!" Margaret cried at the feeling of his tongue sliding along her inner thighs. "Oh, golly, oh golly, oh golly!"

As his tongue slipped inside her, she began breathing hard until she finally let out a yell. Henry held down her arms so she wouldn't flail around, then moved his tongue up from her pelvic area and up toward her belly button and stomach, pausing to suck on her breasts with gentle pressure that made her squirm again. "You're a tasty treat," he whispered with a wicked grin.

Margaret chuckled "Am I?" She replied and reached out to ruffle his hair. Finally, he gave her a long kiss on the lips and curled up next to her, covering them both up with a blanket and putting a pillow under each of their heads. "Was that good for you?" He asked, running a hand over her stomach.

"Yes," Margaret nodded, snuggling against him. "It was. It was completely insane, but I liked it."

"Well, good," Henry replied with a grin. "Then I've done my job."


	18. Taking Time To Live

Now that Selina was working on Elijah's memoirs, she took his spot in the office and he took up space in the library. Then, one day, she changed into one of his shirts and grabbed a pair of heels from her room, and sneaked down to the library, coming up behind him and kissing his neck. "Miss me?" She whispered. He turned around and his jaw dropped. "Miss-Miss Stinson?" He asked, his eyes wide.

"Yeah," Selina grinned and unbuttoned the shirt. "Who else would be typing your memoirs? Could you use a break? I could!"

"Oh, why not?" Elijah asked and took off his suit jacket as Selina sat down on his lap and began kissing him, her fingers running through his dark hair.

"You wanna call me Miss Stinson?" She asked. "Or would you rather call me Bianca, _mi amore_?"

Elijah smiled, took one of her hands, and kissed it. "It's amazing how often we've seen each other over the years," he said. "Do you think you popped up anywhere else in my life?"

"Well," Selina replied, "If I could pop up in whatever time it was you met Katherine, I would. You know that."

"I do," Elijah replied. "You know, when I first met her, I told her I didn't believe in love."

"Oh, that's just silly," Selina replied. "Of course you do!"

"Now, but not at the time," he replied. "It took too much out of me."

"Was it because you were missing Bianca?" Selina asked with a smile.

"I don't know," Elijah replied. "I suppose."

"Are you still surprised that she was me?" Selina asked.

"A little, yes," Elijah replied, his hands moving down toward her butt. "What amazes me is that you could keep silent that long. Usually, it's getting you to be quiet that's the problem."

"Well, I _would_ be insulted," Selina replied. "But I'm sitting here looking hot and I don't really care."

"And plus I know a good way to shut those lips of yours anyway," Elijah replied.

"Oh, yeah?" Selina asked with a grin. "And what would that be?"

"This," Elijah replied and kissed her.

"Yeah, I guess that works," Selina replied when they pulled apart and she stood up. She looked at the box of journals that he'd been reading over. "I'm almost done with the one I'm doing now. Can I have the next one?"

"Well, why do you have to run off so fast?" He asked her, holding her waist. "I was thinking of taking a break."

"Well, okay," Selina replied. "I suppose I could take a break too, then." She noticed a few journals that were off to the side, away from the others. "Is one of those the next one?" She asked.

"No," Elijah shook his head. "Those are ones I'll be typing up personally."

"Why can't I do 'em?" Selina asked.

"Cause they were written around the time I met Katherine and I didn't think you'd want to read that," Elijah replied. "I was trying to spare your feelings." He expected her to fight him and be insulted, but instead she just smiled, kissed him, and said, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Elijah replied with a nod. "What do you say we take that break now?" He picked her up and carried her to his office where after he slipped off her panties, he made love to her on the sofa bed, as usual.

When it was over, he rolled beside her and gazed into her eyes. "This is nice," he said.

"I know, right?" Selina grinned. "Real romantic. Kind of like when you officiated that fake wedding Regina wanted to have for Kol and Margot. That was nice of you. Never saw you as the priest type, though."

"I've been trying for as long as I can remember to find someone or something that would make Kol settle down and behave himself," Elijah replied. "And now that he finally has, how could I not support it?"

"You make a very good point," Selina said. "You're a good brother, Elijah."

* * *

Later that day, Klaus stopped by cause Amy was gone, and he was bored.

"Hey," Selina told him as she made herself a peanut butter sandwich. "Remember in the twelfth century when you tried to kill me?"

"What sort of a ridiculous question is that?" Klaus asked.

"She was Bianca," Elijah said with a smirk. "You remember Bianca, right?"

"What?" Klaus frowned. "You mean that ridiculous mute prostitute you slept with and then sent away?" He looked at Selina. "You're not serious."

"It's true!" Selina replied. "It was me, and both you and Anna wanted me dead. Imagine what would have happened if you'd succeeded."

"Or rather, what _wouldn't_ have happened," Elijah corrected. "No Lonely Heart, no Adrian, Roxanne, or Lucy..."

"Speaking of Adrian," Klaus said, smoothly changing the subject. "Selina, have you heard from Helene or Adrian? They said they'd call one of us once they reached Mystic Falls, and it wasn't me."

"Yep, Helene called and they got there safely," Selina replied. "Everything is fine."

"Good," Klaus nodded. "Good." He sat down next to his brother and was silent.

"Either of you want a peanut butter sandwich?" Selina yelled.

"No, thanks," Elijah called back.

"Me either," Klaus added.

Selina came in with her peanut butter sandwich a few minutes later and both Klaus and Elijah watched her while she ate it.

"Am I interrupting brotherly bonding time or something?" Selina asked. "Cause if so, I'll just go back to your office and keep working." She paused. "In fact, that's what I'll do. Goodbye."

She sauntered off and while Elijah watched her go, Klaus did his best to look in another direction.

"Now, since I'm here," Klaus said to Elijah once she was gone, "What do you want to do?"

"Oh, I don't know," Elijah replied. "What is it we usually do, Niklaus?"

"Wanna go out for a drink?" Klaus asked.

"Sure," Elijah replied, standing up and straightening out his jacket. "Why not?" He went and told Selina that he and Klaus were going out, and then muttered a prayer to himself as he put himself entirely in his brother's hands.

* * *

"I-I have something to say to you," Emily said, coming into the living room.

"What are you doing out of bed?" Tristan asked, coming to meet her. "If you needed something, you could've just yelled for me!"

"I know," Emily replied as Tristan held her in his arms. "I know I'm being stupid, letting myself die when you have the power to keep me alive."

"No, you're not stupid," Tristan told her. "If you...if you don't want to be a vampire, that's fine."

Emily pulled away to look into Tristan's eyes. "If you gave me blood, would I-would I immediately turn into a vampire?"

"No," Tristan shook his head. "You'd have to _die _with my blood in your system for that to happen."

"Well, then...if I won't change, would you give me a little every day...just to give me more of a life?" She asked. "I've come to the decision that that's what I want. I don't want to die, not yet."

"Sure," Tristan replied, sitting her down on the sofa. "I'd be glad to." Tristan went and got a cup, then cut himself and filled the cup full of his blood, going to give it to Emily to drink, holding her hand while she did so.

"Feel any better?" He asked when he took the empty cup from her. "Or do you need more?"

"I-I think this will be enough for now," Emily replied, standing up. Tristan watched as she began walking with steady steps. "You seem all right," he said. "Do you feel all right?"

"Much better," Emily replied. "I know it's not gonna last forever, but I do feel better now. For the moment."

"Good," Tristan nodded. "That's good." Then they heard the front door open, and Emily's father call out. "Everything all right here?" He asked. "I didn't have a flight, so I decided to come home for lunch."

"Yeah, we're fine!" Emily called. "What do you want for lunch, Daddy?"

Her father smiled when he saw her and came to give her a hug. "You look so much better!" He said. "It's one of your good days, isn't it?"

"Yep," Emily nodded. "One of my good days. I think we should take advantage of it and go out to eat, the three of us. What do you say?"

"Sure," her father replied. "I'm up for it. How do you feel about pizza?"

"I'm good with that," Emily replied, taking Tristan's hand. "Let's go."

* * *

"So...how was working at the bakery?" Lenora asked Henry when he and Margaret came to their house for dinner. "Do you feel like you accomplished something?"

"Yes," Henry nodded. "I really think I did."

"Did you eat all the merchandise after your father and I left?" Lenora asked.

"No!" Henry replied, looking offended. "I have some self control, thank you very much." He looked around. "Is it just me, or is it quieter here without Susanna?"

"You're not the only one who notices," Lenora replied as Rusty came in with his head hung low and whimpering. "He misses your sister too."

"Oh, cheer up, boy," Henry said, leaning down to pet the sad dog. Then, Margaret looked on in amazement as Henry transformed into Susanna in an attempt to cheer the dog up. Rusty cocked his head and peered at Henry, then sniffed him, sneezed, realized it wasn't Susanna, but an imposter, and went to sit by James and beg for his table scraps.

"Oh, well," Margaret said, giving Henry a hug. "You can't say you didn't try."

"Damn right," Henry replied.

"You should go visit your sister and bring Rusty some time," James suggested. "It might do him some good."

"What's the point of that, really?" Henry asked. "I mean, Susanna is _invisible_ for crying out loud! How am I supposed to talk to an invisible person without looking like a crazy?"

"Now Henry," Lenora told her son. "Just because your sister is invisible doesn't mean she doesn't have feelings or need company. Take Rusty and go visit your sister, please. If you really think it would be odd going alone, you can take Marcel too. I'm sure he wouldn't mind a visit."

"Oh, all right," Henry sighed. "I'll go visit Susanna. But not now, though. Later."

"What do you plan to do instead?" Lenora asked curiously.

Henry looked at Margaret and shrugged. "I don't know," he said. "Just stuff."

James and Lenora grinned at each other. "I don't think we have to ask what sort of stuff," James said.

"What, it's nothing _bad_!" Henry replied.

"We never said it was," Lenora replied. "In fact, I enjoy doing 'stuff' with your father as well."

"Oh, I did _not_ need to hear that!" Henry yelled, scrunching up his face.

"Well, I thought if you were gonna be open with us about your activities, we could do the same," Lenora said. "But apparently not."

James sniggered at that remark. "Please keep talking," he said to his son. "I want to see how far this can go."

"I think not," Henry replied. He turned to Margaret. "Want to go on the boat where we can have peace and quiet?"

"Finish your dinner first," Lenora replied. "Don't forget about that."

Henry sighed and poked at his mashed potatoes, waiting for his parents to get up to get something, and then quickly gestured at Rusty and let the dog eat everything on his plate while Margaret watched in shock.

"You shouldn't do that!" She chided afterward. "It's not good for him!"

"Oh, it's not that bad," Henry replied. "You done eating?"

"No," Margaret replied, cutting up some roast into small pieces and putting a forkful in her mouth at a time.

Henry waited impatiently for her to finish while his mother eyed him suspiciously. "You sure ate quickly," she said.

"I was really hungry," Henry replied.

"Well, do you want some more?" Lenora asked. "There's more left."

"No," Henry replied. "I'm good."

He kept his eye on Margaret and expected her to tattle on him, but to his amazement, she kept quiet. Lenora watched him closely still, but once Margaret's plate was empty, they were both allowed to leave the table without trouble.

"Honestly, I thought you were gonna tell on me," Henry told her as they made their way to the ship. "Thanks for keeping your mouth shut."

"Yes, well," Margaret replied, straightening his collar. "I still disapprove of what you did, but since it wasn't hurting anyone, I figured it would just make trouble if I told." She kissed him. "But don't do it too much, okay?"

"Yes, Mother," Henry replied smartly, leading Margaret to give him a tap on the head before he picked her up and carried her to the bedroom on ship and locked the door behind them.


	19. Riding Out The Storm

"How was visiting your sister?" Margaret asked Henry. "It was really nice of you to do."

"Well," Henry sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "About as easy as visiting an invisible person in a hospital would be. And she wasn't completely invisible. There was this weird, fuzzy outline that was there along with her voice, you know like TV static."

"I bet she was glad to talk to you and Marcel," Margaret replied. "Was she?"

"Well, she was more excited to see Rusty and talk to Marcel than me," Henry admitted. "I mean, she thanked me for coming, but I think she would have been happier if I wasn't there."

"Oh, come on, don't be silly!" Margaret replied and gave him a hug. "I'm sure she was happy you were there. You're her brother. She loves you."

"Oh, I don't know..." Henry said.

"Well, _I_ do," Margaret replied and kissed his cheek. "That's for sure."

"Aren't you sweet?" Henry told her.

"I try to be," Margaret replied. "While you were gone, Tristan called. He said that Emily had her last check up, and it seems she's gone into remission, at least temporarily. Must've been all the blood she let him give her."

Henry let out a breath and ran his fingers through his dark hair. "You wouldn't believe how happy I am to hear that," he said.

"I figured you would be, which is why I told you," Margaret replied with a smile.

"We should take Emily out to celebrate sometime," Henry suggested. "Or I can go by myself if you don't want to come."

"Oh, I'll come," Margaret replied. "I promise."

"Well, good," Henry said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "It wouldn't be the same without you there."

* * *

Henry took his idea and talked to Tristan about it over the phone. "You know, that really sounds like a good idea," Tristan agreed. "Emily's been saying that she wanted to celebrate ever since her diagnosis happened, but I wasn't sure how. But some small, quiet celebration like a dinner would be perfect." He paused. "Did Margaret say she wants to come?"

"Yeah, she said she would," Henry replied. "Unless you think that would be a bad idea."

"No, I don't think it would be a bad idea," Tristan replied. "I was just curious is all."

"Good," Henry said. "You talk to Emily and her father about when she wants to have her celebration dinner, and we'll go from there."

"All right," Tristan nodded. "I will." He then ended the call and went to find Emily in the living room writing something furiously on a pad of paper. "What are you doing?" He asked, sitting down next to her.

"Well, I'm making a list of all the things I want to do, all the places I want to go, all the stuff I want to learn, things like that," She replied. "I've been given a gift, Tristan, and I don't want to waste it."

"Well that sounds like a good plan," he told her. "How about we start this new outlook on life of yours with a little celebration dinner? Henry wants to throw one for you."

"Does he?" Emily asked, her brown eyes sparkling. "Isn't that sweet of him!" She paused. "When are we gonna have it?"

"Well, I thought you'd want to decide that," Tristan replied. "So when do _you _want it to be?"

"I'll have to ask my daddy when he's available," Emily said thoughtfully. "Cause I'm sure he'd want to come too."

True to her word, she talked to her father when he came home after his last flight, and they decided that her dinner should be held three days later on a Friday, cause her father's flights were nearly empty that day. Tristan let Henry know, and when Henry got off the phone, he looked at Margaret with determination.

"All right," he said. "We have three days to come up with the menu for Emily's dinner."

"Why are you telling me that?" Margaret asked. "What's with all this 'We' business? We both know that _you're_ the cook between the two of us. Not me.'

"Yeah, but you're learning," Henry replied. "The only way you're gonna get better is if you practice."

"Well, since this is Emily's celebration dinner, don't you think she deserves better than eggs and burnt muffins?" Margaret asked.

Henry looked at her in surprise. "It's nice of you to care so much," he said. "But I won't make you cook the dinner all by yourself. You'll be my assistant. You think you can handle that?"

Margaret looked into Henry's blue eyes and nodded. "Of course I can," she replied. "So what will we be cooking?"

"I don't know," Henry replied and went to call Emily again. She decided on hamburgers, pasta salad, and chocolate cake, and over the next few days, Henry and Margaret worked until it was finally the day of the dinner.

"You know, we _could_ just magic up everything she wants," Margaret pointed out in frustration as she struggled with the cake. "Can we do that? Please?"

"No," Henry replied with a shake of his head. "Come on, you've done everything else successfully. Don't give up now!"

"I've fucked up the last three tries," Margaret pointed out. "There is a time to cut our losses and take the easy way out."

"Just try it one more time," Henry begged. "If this time doesn't work out, I'll go to Grandma's and get a cake, I promise."

"Well, okay," Margaret agreed and got to cracking eggs and measuring flour. "But this is my _last_ try."

"Good girl," Henry told her. "I'm proud of you."

"Yeah, whatever," Margaret replied. "You're lucky you're so cute, or I wouldn't have done it."

Fortunately, this time, the cake came out without a hitch, and Margaret had just finished frosting it when Emily, Tristan, and her father arrived.

"That looks good!" Emily said appreciatively. "Did you make it yourself?"

"Yeah," Margaret nodded. "This was my fourth attempt. Al the rest were horrible."

"But at least you made the effort," Emily replied. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Margaret replied. She finished frosting the cake, then carefully walked over and set it in the middle of the table. Henry set out the pasta salad and told Emily, "Okay, I have hamburger, so tell me how big of a burger you want and then I'll go put it on the grill."

"Not a big one," Emily replied. "A small one."

"Same for me," Margaret said. Henry ended up making two big burgers for himself and Emily's father, and two smaller ones for Margaret and Emily, as requested, then dressed them up with toppings, and put them on plates before going to get a bottle of sparkling white grape juice. "I thought we could use this, since we're celebrating," he said. "I know it's not wine, but it's close enough."

Emily's father took the bottle and opened it, pouring it into the glasses that Henry brought. Then, they toasted. "I'm so grateful to still be here," Emily said. "For the chance to stay being with people who love me and want me to have a good life. I've made a list of things I want to do with all my added time, and I hope I get to get through all of it."

"I'll help," Tristan replied.

"Hear, hear," Emily's father replied. They clinked glasses, and ate their burgers, and when it was time to eat the cake, Emily made sure to compliment it multiple times, despite Margaret saying again and again that she didn't have to. But really, Margaret was happy for the praise, and even though she'd never say it out loud, was just as glad as anyone else that Emily had gotten her second chance.

* * *

"Can I help you with your project?" Ethan asked, sticking his head in Elijah's office door. "_Please_, Mommy?"

"Why would you want to?" Selina asked, getting up from the desk chair. "Not that I don't want to spend time with you of course, but I just don't think you'd find what I'm doing very interesting."

"Really?" Ethan asked.

"Really," Selina replied. "So why don't you and I do something fun together, huh?"

"Okay," Ethan replied as a crack of thunder was heard overhead. "What was that?" He asked, his eyes wide with fear as he clutched Clementine close to himself.

"It's all right," Selina replied, picking him up. "It's just a storm. Nothing bad will happen to us." But when the power went out, she put Ethan down, grabbed his free hand, and felt her way to Elijah's office until she bumped into someone in the darkness and both she and Ethan tumbled to the floor. "Elijah?" Selina asked, reaching out. "I hope that's you!"

"Yes," Elijah replied and took her hand. Suddenly, a light blossomed. "Let's go to my office until the power comes back," he said. "We should be safe there."

Selina and Ethan got up and, holding hands with Elijah, the three of them made their way back to his office, where Elijah got a flashlight out of his desk and switched it on. "There," he said. "Now at least, we have _some_ light."

"Are we gonna have to stay in here forever?" Ethan asked, clutching Selina tight and looking afraid.

"No, of course we won't have to stay in here forever, Ethan," Elijah replied. "We can even leave _now,_ if you want. I just wanted us all to be in one place so no one was lost."

"Oh, okay," Ethan nodded. "Let's leave. I don't like it in here. It scares me."

Elijah heard this and opened his mouth to comment, but Selina gave him a look that stopped him in his tracks. He closed his mouth and Selina took the flashlight and she and Ethan left the office and went to the kitchen.

"Keep hold of Clementine," Selina said, and got him a cupcake and some juice. "She'll make you feel better." Then she paused. "Have you had your blood today, or do I still need to give it to you?"

"I need it," Ethan replied.

Selina got a bag out of the cooler next to the refrigerator and put some in a cup and giving it to her son. He drank it carefully, and then looked up at his mother. "I'm messy," he said, eying the blood on his hands, and feeling it around his mouth. "Can I have a napkin, please?"

Selina looked him over and shook her head. "I think a cloth would be more effective," she replied. She went and ran a wash cloth under some warm water before giving his face and hands a good scrub, and then giving him a kiss on the cheek. "There," she said with a smile. "Is that better?"

"I don't know," Ethan replied with a shrug. "Is it?"

"Yes," Selina nodded. "You look very clean."

"All right," Ethan replied and took his mother's hand. As they left the kitchen, the lights came back on.

"Thank heavens," Selina replied. "Now work will be easier for your daddy."

"Let's play Twister," Ethan said. "Do you know where that is?"

"Not off the top of my head," Selina replied. "But I bet I can find it easily." She found it and asked Elijah to be the spinner. He agreed, and that's how they rode out the storm.

* * *

Katherine and Elizabeth were in the mall buying clothes as the storm hit. Elizabeth watched the rain lash down the store windows and heard the thunder boom overhead, and even though she was smart enough to know that it was just a storm, the volume of water was beginning to freak her out.

"Mom," she whispered to Katherine, holding her hand tight. "Are we going to die?"

"Nah, we'll be fine," Katherine said. Just then, her phone rang.

"Are you okay?" Gregory asked from the other end of the line.

"Yeah, we're fine," Katherine replied. "We're heading on our way back home."

"Oh, no you don't," Gregory replied. "I don't want you driving in weather like this. I'll come and get you."

"But what about my car?" Katherine asked. "I can't just leave it here!"

"We'll find a way to get everything and everyone home," Gregory assured her. "Just wait for me."

"All right," Katherine said with a roll of her eyes. But she didn't listen, and as she and Elizabeth were driving away from the mall, the low visibility and slick roads made it hard for Katherine to see, which caused her to hit another car. Swearing, she got out in the soaking rain to confront the other driver, who turned out to be her husband. "You just couldn't wait for me, could you?" He asked, but he took her in his arms briefly before letting go of her and going to help Elizabeth, who was struggling to get out of the car. "Stay in there," Gregory commanded and climbed in beside her. He looked her over and saw that she had a big goose egg on her forehead.

"My head hurts," she said. "And I don't feel good!" She then gagged and Gregory helped her out of the car so she could throw up on the pavement. "How many fingers am I holding up?" He asked her, holding up two fingers.

"Three?" Elizabeth replied.

"No, it's two," Gregory said. "I think we need to get you to a hospital. Did you hit your head when your mother crashed in to me?"

"Yes," Elizabeth nodded. "I did."

"All right," Gregory nodded. "I'll take you to see a doctor, and your mother can take my car home. Neither of them seem very damaged and I'm sure we can get someone to fix them soon." He got out Katherine's car and went to his car where Katherine had shut herself in to get out of the rain. "You take my car home," he told her. "I'm taking Elizabeth to the hospital. She hit her head when you crashed and I think she has a concussion."

"Okay," Katherine replied. "I'll follow you to the hospital."

"You will?" Gregory asked in surprise.

"Of course," Katherine nodded. "My daughter is hurt! What do you think I am, a monster?"

"Well, of course not!" Gregory replied. "I'm just very happy that you care. We should get going. I'll take the lead."

Katherine sighed. "Fine," she said. "But only because it was my crashing that hurt her in the first place."

When they got to the hospital, against Gregory's wishes, Katherine got them in ahead of several other people (some with more desperate need for help than Elizabeth) and the doctor didn't take long to confirm Gregory's suspicions. "She does have a concussion," he said. "But luckily, no skull fracture or anything like that."

"So what should we do?" Katherine asked. "Is there any medicine we need to give her?"

"No," the doctor replied. "Just make sure she rests for the next week to ten days, with no physical or mental stimulation."

"Does that mean I don't have to go to school?" Elizabeth asked.

"It does," Gregory replied. "But once you're better, I'll help you make up all the homework you missed."

"Aww!" Elizabeth groaned. "Not fair!"

"I know," Gregory replied dryly. "I'm just a horrible person." He thanked the doctor, then he and Katherine drove Elizabeth home and he put her to bed, promising he'd check on her every few hours.

"I'm surprised you're gonna let her stay away from school for so long when you could cure her and send her back," Katherine replied.

"I knew you'd be surprised," Gregory replied. "But Elizabeth is human and I want her to grow up that way for as long as possible. Even if it means taking a bunch of time to recover from a concussion."

"You're a good father," Katherine said, putting her arms around Gregory and laying her head on his chest.

"And you're wet," Gregory commented, looking at her soaking clothes. "Don't you want to shower and change?"

"Oh, yeah," Katherine nodded, looking down at her sodden dress. "I think I will!" She headed out and Gregory checked on Elizabeth after an hour, then went to take his own shower while Katherine took over the second watch, holding on to her drowsy daughter's hand. "Are you scared?" She asked. "Do you hurt? I'm sorry I made you hit your head."

"It's okay," Elizabeth replied. "Did you hear Dad say I get to miss school? I'm surprised he didn't just give me blood. I thought that's how it would go since I live with vampires."

"Well, you're human and your father wants you to grow up that way as long as you can," Katherine replied. "And so do I. So you're stuck with a concussion and bed rest." She gave Elizabeth a kiss before turning off her bedroom light. "Sleep well," she told her daughter. "And if you need me for anything, just let me know."


	20. Good Twin and Bad Twin

"Why did you have to bring me here?" Elijah asked testily as he and Selina stood outside Annaliese and Peter's apartment. "You know it's a bad idea!"

"Elijah, you need to talk to your daughter," Selina said firmly. "It's been too long since you last saw her. I think you've avoided her long enough. She's not as bad as you think."

"And how would_ you _know?" Elijah asked.

"Cause she and I have been talking and I've visited without you from time to time," Selina replied. "So I know what I'm talking about."

"Is she still seeing that Peter?" Elijah asked, his eyes narrowed.

"Yes," Selina replied, then ran after Elijah when he took off back to his car. "You come back!" She yelled. "You can't just run off like that!"

Elijah turned. "I told her at Margaret's wedding that as long as she chose to be with that boy, I would not want anything to do with her."

"Well, I think you're being cruel to your daughter," Selina replied. "She hasn't murdered anyone, or stolen anything, or been put in jail...she's just dating a boy you don't see as perfect. Why don't you meet him? He's better than he used to be."

"Fine," Elijah replied gruffly. "But I reserve the right to leave at any time."

"No, you won't," Selina replied and firmly took his hand. "You're gonna come in, and stay, and _act_ like you're having a good time."

Elijah glared at her while she knocked on the door, and she breathed a sigh of relief when it was Annaliese, not Peter, who answered the door. "Mom!" She cried and hugged Selina, her eyes widening when she realized that Selina hadn't come alone. "And Daddy! Why did you come?"

"Your mother insisted," Elijah replied. "Why else?"

Annaliese nodded. "Yep, that was a stupid question." She turned and led them inside, and Elijah tensed when he saw Peter lounging with his legs draped over the armrest of one the chairs. "Relax..." Selina whispered, taking Elijah's arm. "Don't do anything you might regret later."

"Peter, my parents came by," Annaliese gestured at them.

"Well, isn't that nice?" Peter replied, locking eyes with Elijah. "From what Annaliese said, you think she's scum, and we didn't think we were gonna see you again."

"Well, I wouldn't go so far as to say that she's _scum,_" Elijah corrected. "But she's made several choices I don't approve of, _including_ living with _you_."

"Oh, yes," Peter grinned as if he were looking back on a fond memory. "Once again, I'm branded every father's nightmare."

"Do you see, Annaliese?" Elijah asked his daughter. "Do you see that this rascal of a boy is the sort you're choosing to give your heart to? Don't you realize what a big mistake that is?"

"He's really not that bad," Annaliese replied, going to punch Peter in the gut. "He's only trying to get a rise out of you, even though I specifically told him not to." She frowned while Peter winced. Selina then pushed Elijah to sit down.

"So," she said with a smile. "What have you two been doing with yourselves?"

"Nothing much," Annaliese replied, then gestured around the room at the light blue walls and the white curtains. "We redecorated a little."

"That's nice," Selina replied.

"_And_ I've decided I want to learn guitar," Annaliese went on.

"H-have you?" Elijah got out, his eye still on Peter. "Well, when you get comfortable with your ability, you'll have to play for us sometime."

"All right," Annaliese nodded. "I will."

"That was nice," Selina whispered to him. "Good job."

After that little bit of praise, Elijah reluctantly tried to be pleasant the rest of the visit, but when Annaliese excused herself and Peter and said they had a thing to go to, Elijah was the first to shoot out the door with Selina following at a more measured pace and remembering to tell Annaliese goodbye.

"You know, you're not very subtle at all," she said when she and Elijah got to their car. "You might at least have been a little more tactful."

"But why?" Elijah asked. "Annaliese knows I disapprove of her choices, and I see no reason why I should have to pretend otherwise, although I should be getting points because I did today."

"You should at least be civil to her because she's entitled to live her life as she sees fit as long as she's not killing anyone," Selina replied. "You remember how my mother and I were," she continued as they drove away. "Do you want to be like that with Annaliese?"

"It's an unfortunate side effect of her life choices," Elijah reiterated as they pulled away. "If she wants a relationship with me, it is _she_ who is going to have to make the changes."

"Now that is just not fair!" Selina replied. "She's been tripping over herself her whole life to get your attention, and you've never given it to her. Now you're telling me that the only way she would have gotten it is to be a little automaton like Margaret, who has to completely censor herself and not make one single mistake?"

"That's an exaggeration," Elijah replied. "Of course I don't expect my children to be perfect, but I _do_ expect them to show a level of decorum that Annaliese just won't show. I had hoped boarding school would fix that, but apparently, it was all for naught."

"You know what would have fixed it?" Selina asked. "Attention. Positive attention from you. You wouldn't have had to waste your money sending her to that stupid boarding school if you'd just taken a few minutes out of every day to talk with her. Praise her good behaviors and make her feel _loved._ And you can talk all the bullshit you want about decorum, but I don't have any decorum at all, and you still love me." She scoffed. "I guess sex and childbearing make up for a lot of personality flaws, don't they?"

Elijah gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles were white. "Can we talk about something else, please?"

"I'd rather not talk at all," Selina replied, her voice frosty.

So they drove home in silence, and then when they arrived, Selina headed straight to her and Elijah's bedroom, slamming the door loudly, while Elijah shut himself in his office and called Margaret, Annaliese's good twin, just to hear the voice of a child of his who had _not_ disappointed him.

* * *

Henry smirked. "You were on the phone with your father a long time," he told Margaret after she ended the call with her father and came to curl up in Henry's lap. "What happened? No one died, did they?"

"No," Margaret shook her head. "Mom just forced him to visit Annaliese and Peter with her and apparently, he found the experience less than pleasant and wanted to make up for it by talking to one of his favorite children." She smiled.

Henry chuckled. "You're with me and your father still considers you a favorite. Interesting."

"Well, he knows you really love me and will treat me well," Margaret said. "Peter is a whole other story." She paused. "Would you mind if Dad comes over? I told him he could take shelter here for a bit if he wanted."

"Sure," Henry replied. "Why not? Your dad and I are used to each other by now."

"All right," Margaret nodded. She and Henry waited until they heard the knock on the door, and then Margaret went to answer it. When she opened the door, Elijah swept her up in his arms and squeezed her very, very tight.

"Daddy," Margaret tried to get out after a little bit. "Put me down. I can't breathe."

"Sorry," Elijah apologized and then released her. "I'm just so relieved to be in a house where no one will cause me difficulties."

"You think I won't cause you difficulties?" Henry asked. "That's giving me a lot of credit. Thanks a lot."

"_Of course _I think you won't cause me difficulties," Elijah replied. "If you want me to continue being okay with your relationship with Margaret."

"Point taken," Henry replied. "I understand."

"Good," Elijah replied and relaxed in one of the living room chairs. "You know," he said, looking around their house, which resembled a log cabin. "This house is very rustic, isn't it? But I like it."

"Thanks," Henry replied. "I grew up in a castle, so when it was time to get my own place, I wanted something a bit different."

"It's got a nice big kitchen for when I practice baking," Margaret added.

"You're learning how to bake?" Elijah asked. "Have you told your mother?"

"Yeah, I brought her something when we went to visit her at the bakery awhile back," Margaret replied. "So she knows."

"You want us to make you dinner?" Henry offered. "Or are you in a rush to get back home?"

"Oh, no rush," Elijah shook his head. "Selina and I are on one of our 'break periods'."

"Cause she made you go and see Annaliese," Margaret said.

"Yes, and then she yelled at me for being closed minded and wrecking Annaliese's life," Elijah replied. "I _hate_ being yelled at. Especially by your mother."

"Why?" Henry asked. "Cause sometimes she's right? That's why my dad hates being yelled at by my mom."

"Well, it would seem that your father and I have something in common then," Elijah replied, running his fingers through his hair.

"So, what do you say about dinner?" Margaret asked.

"Oh, I'm going to stay, no question," Elijah replied. "Who knows what your mother will do, though."

Just then, his phone beeped and a message popped up. _Taking Ethan to go see Laura and Edward. If you want to eat, ask Margaret and Henry to feed you._

_S_

"Well," Elijah replied after reading the message and turning off his phone. "It seems Selina has gone off to spend the evening with Laura and Edward, so I will definitely need to be here if I want actual food."

"Well, we can do that," Margaret replied, then looked at Henry. "What about chicken? Can we do chicken?"

"Sure," Henry nodded and looked at Elijah. "Would that be all right with you?"

Elijah nodded. "Of course," he said. "I'll happily eat whatever you make."

"Awesome," Margaret replied and zipped to the kitchen.

"She always does that when it's time for us to cook something," Henry said fondly. "It's adorable."

Elijah smiled and followed Henry to the kitchen, taking a seat at the table, while Henry joined Margaret at the oven and zapped up a chicken, slipping it in the oven and setting the timer.

"So what else should we eat?" Margaret asked. "Mashed potatoes?"

"If you want," Henry replied.

They ended up making chicken, mashed potatoes, and salad, and after they'd finished eating, they sat together in the living room watching an old episode of Masterpiece Theater. Elijah was amazed that Henry stayed awake through the whole thing.

"It was a murder mystery!" Henry explained. "I like those."

"Do you want to spend the night too?" Margaret asked her father. "Do you think _you'll _end up a murder mystery if you try to go home?"

Elijah smirked. "Thank you, dear," he said. "But I don't think it's_ that _bad between me and your mother. I'll just stay here until nightfall, and then go home. But I wonder what your mother is doing right now?"

* * *

"So _what _exactly happened?" Laura asked Selina as she and Ethan sat down at the kitchen table of Edward and Laura's house.

"I thought it was about time your father went and faced Annaliese," Selina told her. "He hadn't even seen her since Margaret's wedding, and I think the fact that he's avoiding her is ridiculous."

"So you tricked him into going to visit Annaliese in hopes that he'd finally put all his stubbornness aside and welcome Annaliese with open arms?" Laura asked, eyebrow raised. "Is that it?"

"Well, sort of," Selina replied with a groan. "It's just...I thought that after all this time, your father would have gotten over himself enough to give Annaliese another chance, but wouldn't you know it? We get back, and he runs off to see Margaret first chance he gets." She sighed. "I wish it didn't have to be that way."

"Maybe next time you want him to go see Annaliese,_ I _could be the one to suggest it," Laura said. "Or I could take him. Daddy's never said 'No' to me before."

"You know, that's a good idea," Selina replied. "I'll remember that." She paused. "So, how are things here?"

"Fine," Laura replied. "Edward got promoted."

"Did he?" Selina asked. "How wonderful!"

"And..." Laura said, "we're talking about having another baby soon. We just don't know when, exactly. But Charlie is eleven now. It's about time, right?"

"There's no rule that says you have to have another kid," Selina replied. "And there was a thirteen year gap between Adrian and Roxie, and a sixteen year gap between Roxie and Lucy. So you don't have to rush."

"I kind of do," Laura replied. "Remember, Edward ages."

"I forgot about that," Selina admitted. "But even if you take Edward's aging into account, the guy is only thirty. He's still got a lot of time left." She paused. "Does _he _want another baby?"

"We both do," Laura assured her mother. "This isn't a one-sided thing."

"All right, then," Selina said. "Sounds like a plan. Your father will be pleased to hear about your plans. The news might even distract him from thinking about Annaliese."

"Excuse me," Ethan piped up.

"What, sweetie?" Laura asked her brother.

"Where do babies come from?" He asked, appealing to Laura with a curious gaze.

"That is the sort of question mommies should answer," Laura replied, blushing at her cowardice before running out of the room. Once she was gone, Ethan swung around to face his mother. "Where do babies come from?" He repeated.

"Babies come from mommies' tummies," Selina replied.

"Oh," Ethan nodded, not needing a more detailed answer. "Can boys have babies?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "Just girls."

"So I could say that Clementine had a baby?" Ethan asked.

"You could," Selina nodded. "Definitely."

"All right," Ethan nodded. "Thank you, Mommy."

Selina smiled and patted his head, but all the while, she though about what Elijah's reaction would be if he found Ethan pretending that Clementine was having a baby. How he acted with Annaliese would be small potatoes compared to that, she bet, but even so, she would make sure that he treated Ethan a hell of a lot better than he was treating Annaliese.


	21. Wild Women

Henry was awakened one morning at about three because of the persistent ringing of the telephone.

"What?" He said, first sitting up in a half-awake state. He realized that it was the phone and ran to answer it. "Hello?" He got out. "This better be an emergency!"

"Sorry," Marcel apologized. "But I-I need your help. It's about your sister."

"What about my sister?" Henry asked. "Is she dead? Is she hurt?"

"No," Marcel replied. "She's twenty."

Henry's eyes widened and he suddenly felt more awake. "You need help with her?" he asked. "Is that why you're calling? Do you want me to get her away from you?"

"I-I don't know," Marcel replied. "But would it be too much trouble for you to come over while I decide?"

"Sure," Henry replied. "I'll be there in a little bit." He hung up the phone and went to wake Margaret.

"What?" She asked sleepily. "Who was on the phone?"

"It was Marcel," Henry replied. "Apparently, my sister is at his house causing trouble and I have to go bail him out. Will you be all right here by yourself?"

"Sure," Margaret nodded, rubbing her eyes. "You do what you need to do."

Henry nodded and got some normal clothes on before he zapped himself over to Marcel's, where the bedroom light was on, and as he entered, his eyes widened at the sight of his naked sister. Or at least he_ thought _it was his sister.

"You know, I'm never gonna get used to what you did to yourself," Henry told her as he threw a blanket in her direction. "Why in the hell did you do it?"

"I wanted to be with Marcel," Susanna replied. "Duh!"

"Well, don't you realize how screwed up this whole scheme of yours was?" Henry asked.

"No more crazy than _your_ scheme to put Margaret in Emily's body so you could sleep with her!" Susanna replied. "Don't you judge me!"

"Well then," Henry cleared his throat and sighed. "Now that you obviously got what you came for, why don't you put your clothes on and come spend the night with me and Margaret? Unless, of course, you'd rather go home and explain this escapade to Mom and Dad."

Susanna sighed. Her parents really had not been all that happy with her choice to age herself, although they'd grudgingly accepted it. "Thanks for the offer," she said. "But I think I'll take my chances with Mom and Dad."

"Fine, whatever," Henry replied. "You do that."

"Fine, I will," Susanna replied, sticking her tongue out at him before gathering up her clothes and zapping them on while Henry checked on Marcel. "You doin' all right?" He asked.

"Yeah," Marcel replied. still looking a bit shell-shocked. "As long as I'm left alone for awhile, I should be fine."

"Well, I'll help with that," Henry assured him, taking Susanna by the arm and pulling her out of the apartment so she could zap herself back to James and Lenora's. "Good luck with Mom and Dad," he told his sister derisively. "I hope Dad's not _too_ upset with you."

* * *

Once Susanna was gone, he headed back home to Margaret, who had waited up for him with a cup of tea. "Everything all right?" She asked.

"Yeah, fine," Henry nodded. "But my sister...she's a piece of work, you know."

"I can say the same about _my_ sister," Margaret replied as Henry drank his tea. "Annaliese, I mean."

"I remember the guy she's with," Henry replied. "Your dad's not a fan, is he?"

"No," Margaret replied. "But Mom says he has to put up with him." She stood up and removed the over-shirt she had been wearing so she was standing before Henry in just her underwear. She kissed him and said, "I'll be in the bedroom. When you finish your tea, you can come and join me."

Henry choked on the tea that he had in his mouth as he watched her walk, hips shaking seductively, from the kitchen. After he finished coughing, he got the rest of the tea down, then zapped himself to his room, removed all his clothes, and made love to Margaret until sunrise, when they both fell sound asleep.

* * *

Taking Selina's advice about bonding with his children more seriously so they wouldn't have another Annaliese on their hands, Elijah decided to spend some time with Ethan. He went to Ethan's bedroom and knocked on the closed door. "Son?" He called. "It's me, your father! Can I come in?"

"Sure, Daddy!" Ethan called back and pulled him into his room. Elijah then noticed Ethan's doll lying on his bed with her dress bulging out. "Why is your doll like that?" Elijah asked, trying not to recoil.

"She's gonna have a baby!" Ethan proclaimed. "Isn't that great, Daddy?"

"Um, I um...I guess," Elijah replied and then sprinted from the room, running to the kitchen. "The doll is pregnant!" He yelled. Selina, who was frosting a batch of cupcakes, turned to face him. "What?" She asked.

"The doll is pregnant!" Elijah repeated. "Ethan is pretending his doll is pregnant!"

"Well, isn't that just adorable?" Selina smiled.

"No, it is _not_ adorable!" Elijah snapped.

"When Margaret played tea party with you as a child, you enjoyed it and encouraged her," Selina pointed out. "Why can't you do the same with Ethan?"

"Cause he is not a girl!" Elijah replied, running his fingers through his hair. "This...this is just too much!"

"Are you gonna run off to Enid's with your brother and get drunk again?" Selina asked.

"Well, could you blame me if I did?" Elijah asked.

"Yes, I could!" Selina replied. "Cause you're making yourself sick over nothing. This whole doll thing could just be a phase. Or it might mean something more in the future. Either way, it's not something you can change. Love your son for who he is. You were able to do that with Laura, despite the fact that her whole personality is not the nice, neat sort you like."

"Well, of course I love Laura," Elijah replied testily. "I delivered her and she's exactly like you, so how could I not?"

"Well, if you can accept Laura as she is, you should at least try to accept Ethan, cause he's your son, and I worked damn hard to get him into this world," Selina replied. "Think about that!"

"Here we go again," Elijah said and rolled his eyes, heading out of the kitchen while Selina pursed her lips, and watched him go. But she smiled when, soon after, she heard Ethan shout at his father in a worried voice, "Come on, Daddy! The baby is coming and I need _help!"_

"Well, all right," Elijah got out. "Hold your horses!"

Selina chuckled to herself and when Elijah returned, looking as miffed as ever a few minutes later, she bit her lip on a smile and said to him, "So, how was the delivery? Was it as easy as Laura's?"

"He had her have a bear!" Elijah said through his teeth. "A human-looking doll having a bear. How unbelievable is that?"

"Look, I know that when you were growing up, there wasn't a lot of time to sit around and be imaginative, but didn't you ever play pretend, or anything like that?" Selina asked. "And I'm sure Ethan appreciated your help. You didn't tell him that the whole exercise was stupid, did you?"

"No," Elijah sighed. "I kept my mouth shut about that."

"Good," Selina nodded. "Good job." She then went in to see Ethan. "So, how does Clementine like her baby?" She asked.

"She likes her a lot!" Ethan said. "See?" Selina saw that Clementine and the small bear were next to each other on the bed, the small, dark brown bear set up in a sort of carrier made out of newspaper. "Her baby looks pretty comfy," Selina said. "What's the baby's name?"

"I don't know," Ethan shrugged. "Probably Toby."

"So he's a boy?" Selina asked.

"Yes," Ethan nodded.

Just then, the phone rang. Selina excused herself, then went to get it. It was Toby's mother, asking if Ethan was available to play.

"Well, I'm sure he'd love to!" Selina replied. "I'll go ask him." She headed back to Ethan's room and said, "That was Toby's mother on the phone and she wants to know if you'd like to come play with him."

"Sure!" Ethan replied enthusiastically, pushing his light brown hair out of his dark eyes (another reason Selina supposed Elijah was so concerned about his behavior: the boy looked more like him than her.) "Can I bring my toys? I promise not to get them dirty."

"Oh, get them as dirty as you want!" Selina replied. "That's what washing machines are for!"

So with a smile, Ethan gathered up his toys and Selina drove him to Toby's house. When she returned, she found Elijah sitting on the living room sofa with a book in his hand, smirking at her. "What's so funny?" She asked, coming closer. "What do you have there?"

"It would be your diary," Elijah replied. "From the twenties. A very entertaining read that I bet legions of Lonely Heart enthusiasts would pay a pretty penny for."

"You think?" Selina asked. "I didn't see it as being _that_ interesting."

"Oh, it _is_," Elijah replied. "Especially all the stuff about _me_."

"I wrote about you?" Selina asked. "I don't remember that!"

Elijah chuckled again, clearing his throat and beginning to read an entry: "_July 3, 1923: Met Klaus' brother Elijah today. He's a handsome man, I suppose. But I hate him. He seemed familiar to me at first glance, and I couldn't identify him for the longest time. But then I remembered: He came to Granny and Granddaddy Lockwood's when I was sixteen and stayed around long enough to make me fall for him before he left and I didn't see him for years. And that angers me so much, even if he _was_ a good kisser._ Especially_ since he was such a good kisser."_

"All right, all right," Selina said. "You can stop reading that now." She started to snatch it away from him, but then pulled back. In case the book was fragile, she didn't want it to get ruined.

"You really _should_ transcribe this_," _ Elijah replied. "You wouldn't want to lose all this juicy material."

"Fine," Selina snapped. "Give it to me, and I'll think about it."

Elijah smirked, handed it to her, and then strode off to his office.

* * *

"Mom and Dad want to have another baby," Charlie told Elizabeth as they sat on the porch swing together at Gregory and Katherine's. "Do you think they hate me?"

"What if they do?" Elizabeth asked, concerned. "If your parents kick you out, you can come live with me! Or we could run away somewhere."

"Really?" Charlie asked. "You're so nice, Elizabeth." He leaned his head against her and she ran her fingers through his hair.

At that moment, Gregory came out and peered at them. "What's going on?" He asked. "Is everything okay?"

"Daddy, if Charlie's parents have another baby and kick him out of their house, can he come live with us?" Elizabeth asked her father.

"His parents would _not_ kick him out if they had another child," Gregory assured his daughter. "I promise that wouldn't happen."

"Oh," Elizabeth nodded. "But are you _sure_?"

"Have I ever lied to you?" Gregory asked.

"No," Elizabeth replied. "You haven't." She paused. "Why did you come out here?"

"Do I need a reason?" Gregory asked. "Scootch over."

Elizabeth looked at him doubtfully. "I don't know," she said. "if you sit with us, you might break the swing."

"Well, fine," Gregory replied and pulled one of the deck chairs near them to sit down. "There. I'm sitting in a different chair. I won't break the swing."

A few seconds later, Katherine poked her head out. "Here's where everyone is!" She said. "I was wondering!" She paused and started toward the swing. "You're not allowed to sit there," Gregory warned her. "Although you're very svelte, Elizabeth thinks the swing will break if anyone else sits there. However," Katherine paused. "What?"

Gregory grinned. "This is a pretty solid chair. You can come sit on my lap if you want." Katherine smiled and took a seat on his lap let him run his hand over her jean-covered thigh while Elizabeth and Charlie looked at one another with disgusted faces and ran back inside, leaving Katherine and Gregory alone on the porch.

"I know I haven't said this to you in a long time," He told her. "But thanks...thanks for agreeing to let me bring Elizabeth into our lives."

"You're-you're welcome," Katherine got out. "It was kind of hard having her around at first, and sometimes it still is, you know, cause I had to give up a baby when I was human and it was a girl, just like Elizabeth. I never knew what happened to her."

"Well, that's a shame," Gregory replied. "I wish there was some way we could fix that."

"Well, there's not," Katherine replied, standing up. "So there's no use dwelling on it."

She went into the house, acting like nothing was wrong, but the next morning, when he went to get the mail, there was a letter in the box with a return address on the envelope that said it was sent by a Nadia Petrova. Gregory stared at the letter a long time, wondering whether he should show Katherine the letter or not.


	22. A Little Color

Finally, Gregory decided he'd better show Katherine, who was in their bedroom, getting ready for the day. "Hey, _Katerina_?" He called, giving the door a couple of raps with the back of his hand. "Are you decent?"

"You've already seen me when I'm not, so you can come in!" Katherine called back. He came in and saw her in a red bathrobe with curlers in her hair. "What's with the makeover?" He asked.

She shrugged. "I just felt like it," he said. "What brings you in here?"

"You got a letter from a woman named Nadia Petrova," Gregory replied. "Do you know anyone with that name?"

Katherine's head whipped around so fast that some of her curlers came loose. She snatched the letter out of Gregory's hand and opened it. "Nadia is my daughter," Katherine got out. "But I had to stop looking for her_ years _ago. How could she even still be alive?"

"Do you know whether or not she's a vampire?"

"No," Katherine shook her head. "But apparently so. What other explanation could there be? Oh, god, this is creepy! It took me long enough to adjust to having one daughter. What if I can't adjust to two?"

"Two what?" Elizabeth asked.

"Two nothing," Katherine replied. "Nothing you need to worry about, Elizabeth." She got the curlers out of her hair, dressed, and strode from the room. "Two what?" Elizabeth asked her father, coming into the room.

"Two daughters," Gregory told her. "This letter is from the daughter your mother had when she was human. The girl's a vampire now."

"Is she coming here?" Elizabeth asked, looking worried. "And when she comes, will Mom want to get rid of me?"

"Of course not," Gregory hugged his daughter. "Don't be ridiculous. Other daughter or not, your mother will love you just the same."

"I hope so," Elizabeth replied.

* * *

The next day after Katherine received the letter, she got a phone call from a woman claiming to be Nadia. "Did you read my letter?" She asked. "Do you know who I am?"

"I'm aware of who you _claim_ to be," Katherine replied sharply. "But you can't expect me to just believe it, can you?"

"I suppose not," Nadia replied. She had the same accent that Katherine had once had before she'd had to change it in order to fit in in other places. She at least had that going for her. "When would you like me to come visit you?"

"I'd like to get this whole situation dealt with as soon as possible," Katherine replied. "How about tomorrow? There's a place called Vampire Bites where we can meet."

"All right," Nadia replied. "Is two o'clock all right for you?"

"Yeah," Katherine nodded. "Sounds great." She ended the call and started when she found that Gregory had sneaked up behind her. "So...you're meeting your daughter at Mother's bakery," he said. "That's a surprising location. I thought this would be something you wouldn't want Mom to know."

"Well, I figure you'd just tell her anyway, so I thought it would be best that she find out from me."

"Of course I wouldn't tell her if you didn't want me to," Gregory replied. "What do you think I am, some gossipy housewife? I'm aware that this is a delicate situation for you, and it should be up to you how to handle it."

"Thank you for that," Katherine nodded. "Will you...will you come with me tomorrow? And I think I want to bring Elizabeth as well."

"Of course we'll both come," Gregory replied, kissing Katherine's forehead. "Whatever you want, we'll do."

* * *

Katherine was grateful that when they arrived at the bakery the next day, Nadia wasn't there yet, the place was full of people, and Selina was too occupied to come ad hassle them. "Are you nervous?" Gregory asked, taking her hand.

"Maybe a little," Katherine nodded. "When she was eight, I tried to find her, you know. I'd finally gotten free from your uncle and all the others who were after me, and I...I went back and I looked through every town, every village, every cottage, for my daughter. But I never found her." She sighed. "But I'm gonna see her now."

"And you have me!" Elizabeth replied, eager not to be forgotten. "Don't forget about me!"

"Oh, how could I?" Katherine replied. "You've been the greatest challenge of my whole life but I...I love you for that."

Just then Gregory, who was looking at the bakery door, saw a woman who very much resembled Katherine come through the door. He cleared his throat and Katherine turned to look.

"Hi," Nadia said, sitting down when she reached them. She locked eyes with Katherine. "I'm Nadia. And you...you could be no one else but my mother. Both my mother, and the woman who killed her so many years ago. Put your neck in a noose and just..."

"Enough," Katherine interrupted, noticing that Elizabeth was starting to look frightened. "We don't all need to rehash what I did."

"What's your excuse for it?" Nadia demanded.

"I-I did it to save myself," Katherine replied. "I had people after me, people who wanted to use me for horrible things. And when I died...when I became a vampire, it meant I was useless to them. I was only trying to survive." She paused. "But I looked for you," Katherine continued. "When you were eight, I got away from those bad people and I looked everywhere, but I couldn't find you. I'm...I'm sorry."

"You couldn't find me, so you replaced me," Nadia replied, looking at Gregory and Elizabeth. "Who are these two?"

"This is my husband Gregory, and my daughter Elizabeth," Katherine replied.

Nadia studied Gregory. "Is he my father?"

"No!" Katherine said quickly. "Your father...he died a long time ago. I can't say that I even remember a thing about him anymore."

There was a silence, and then Nadia said, "Sorry for all the questions." She paused and looked around. "This is a quirky place. Why'd you have us come here?"

"I probably shouldn't have," Katherine replied. "It belongs to a woman who is both my mother-in-law and one of my biggest rivals. And the worst part is, she's younger than me!"

"Is she a vampire?" Nadia asked.

"Yeah," Katherine nodded. "She's at the register, right there." Nadia turned, caught a glimpse of Selina, and gasped.

"What?" Katherine asked. "What's the matter?"

"I'm a vampire," Nadia got out. "That's why I'm still alive. And _that_," she gestured wildly at Selina, "That woman, she nearly had me killed!"

"Are you sure?" Gregory asked. "That's a very serious accusation!"

Nadia nodded. "She...she said that I looked like someone she knew, someone who wronged her. She must've meant you,"

Katherine nodded. "Probably. And for that, she tried to kill you?"

"Well, she was a blonde then, but I'm pretty sure," Nadia replied. "I would never forget that face."

* * *

Henry woke up slowly to the sound of Margaret singing him "Happy Birthday." He gave her a long look and rubbed his eyes. "What are you doing?" He asked.

"What does it sound like?" Margaret asked. "I'm singing you 'Happy Birthday'. Your mom let me know that it's today. Why didn't _you_ say something?"

Henry shrugged. "I don't know. I just...I never really cared much about whether my birthday was celebrated or not."

"Well, if you don't want to celebrate, all I'll do is sing to you," Margaret replied. "And then I'll go and change out of the birthday lingerie I bought."

"Oh, don't do that," Henry said quickly, noticing the gauzy, nearly transparent light pink teddy she was wearing. "You went to all the effort. I don't want it to go to waste."

Margaret giggled. "I thought you'd say that," she replied and climbed on top of him so that she was looking in his eyes.

"Happy birthday," she repeated and leaned forward to kiss him. When she pulled back, he looked stunned for a few seconds, and then pulled her underneath him. "I think I know what I want to do to celebrate my birthday," he said, kissing her neck. "Be in bed with you all day with an hour break for cake. That's what I want."

"I'm all for it," Margaret agreed with a sigh. "But what if...what if your parents what to come over?"

"Oh, I bet they'll call," Henry replied. "And when they do, we'll just tell them we want to celebrate tomorrow. They'll understand."

"All right," Margaret nodded and let out a squeak as he pushed into her. "If you say so."

* * *

"I think I know how we should celebrate Henry's birthday," James told Lenora.

"I know too," Lenora replied as she finished wrapping Henry's present. "I'm gonna go call them and see when they want us to come over."

"Oh, don't do that!" James replied, putting a restraining hand on Lenora's arm. "We shouldn't bother him and Maggie. Let's just stay home and celebrate in the same way that got him here. I can't think of a better way."

"That's a terrible idea!" Lenora replied. "What if he thinks we forget and he hates us?"

"Trust me," James said with a smirk. "Of all the people Henry is thinking about on his birthday, the only one that matters is Maggie. I bet he's gonna spend the day in bed with her."

"Yeah," Lenora nodded. "Just like you suggested. I think you're where Henry's horniness comes from."

"Me?" James put a hand to his chest and tried to look innocent. "What would make you say such a thing?"

"Cause it's true!" Lenora replied, although she was grinning. "Why else would I have had him so young? You just couldn't wait, could you?"

"Excuse me," James chuckled. "If I may clarify, it was _you _who initiated the sex with me that got you pregnant," James replied. "Remember? Your grandmother arrested me cause you kicked up a big fuss about the deal you made with me?"

"Well, you have to admit it wasn't the most fair deal in the world," Lenora replied. "I was a kid. You took advantage."

"And if I was so horrible, what made you want to come break me out of my cell?" James asked.

"I-I was bored," Lenora replied. "That's all. Don't read too much into it."

"You missed me, you missed me!" James chanted in a sing-song voice. "You missed me so much you came to break me out of jail and have sex with me! You're the needy one, and I'm not!"

"Oh, you are so!" Lenora shot back. "Don't even try to pretend you aren't, sleeping with every girl in Ireland like you did!" She scowled.

"Is someone a bit jealous now?" James asked, coming to take her in his arms. "You know you don't have to be."

"I'm_ not_," Lenora mumbled as she lay her head on his shoulder.

"You are," James replied and picked her up, giving her butt a tap. "That's why I'm gonna take you to bed with me, and then we'll call Henry and tell him happy birthday. and if he's mad at us for not calling sooner, I'll take full responsibility."

"All right," Lenora nodded as he carried her to bed, undressed her, and ran his fingers through her presently short dark hair. "I like your hair better this way," he commented. "And as for _this_," He stroked a small tattoo of a mermaid that she'd had put on her inner thigh. "I really like _that."_

Lenora giggled as tingles from his touch shot through her body. "I'm glad you like it," Lenora said. "But to be completely honest, I don't remember getting it."

"What?" James asked.

"I think I must've been drunk when I got the tattoo done," Lenora replied. "I mean, I remember when I got the anchor," she said, referring to a small blue tattoo of an anchor on her right shoulder. "But that mermaid, I have no idea. I woke up with it after a night on the town with Damon, so I shouldn't be surprised."

"Well," James chuckled, running his hands over her body. "Let me do a very thorough search and see if I can find any other tattoos you don't know about."

"I'd like that," Lenora replied, giggling as she tickled her again. "Tell me if you find anything interesting. And don't forget that we have to call Henry!"

"We'll call him tomorrow," James assured her. "I promise."

* * *

"Well, look who it is!" Laura exclaimed when she opened the front door. "Daddy!"

"Hello, darling," Elijah replied and gave her a long, bone-crushing hug.

"What was that for?" She asked when she was finally released.

"Oh, nothing much," Elijah replied. "For just being you, I guess."

"So...what brings you here?" Laura continued. "The pleasure of my company?"

"Well, of course!" Elijah replied. "That and...I need your help."

"About what?" Laura asked.

"I-I need help relating better to Ethan and Annaliese," Elijah replied. "Your mother maintains that I can't relate to them as they are, and since I did it with you, it shouldn't be difficult." He paused, noticing several green streaks in her hair. "Interesting style choice, darling. But make sure you wash it out before you see people."

"All right, Daddy," Laura nodded after a few minutes of silence. "You know," she said, reaching up to run her fingers through Elijah's hair. "You look like you could use a trim. It'll only take a minute."

"Well, all right," Elijah replied. "Thank you, dear!" Laura smiled at him and led him to her styling area. He took a seat in the chair in front of a sink and Laura removed all the mirrors. "Why are you doing that?" Elijah asked nervously.

"Cause I don't want you to see what you look like until after I'm done with you," Laura explained. "I want it to be a surprise."

"Well, all right," Elijah replied, although he was skeptical. "I trust you."

"All right, let's wash you hair first," Laura said. "Lean your head back so I can wash your hair."

"Okay," Elijah replied. He leaned his head back, and Laura turned on the warm water before opening up the cabinet above her father's head to pick which shampoo she would use. She had normal shampoos, but she also had special kinds that dyed your hair a specific, wacky color when you lathered them into your hair. Laura looked these over and picked pink for her father. She worked both the shampoo and conditioner in, dried his hair, and then cut it.

"Am I good?" Elijah asked as she took the cover off him.

"Yes," Laura nodded, trying not to laugh. "I'm sure mom will love it. As for Annaliese and Ethan, talk to them. Show interest in what they like. Just be kind. That'll work."

"All right," Elijah replied. "It might not be easy, but I'll try." She brought him upstairs, and when Charlie saw his grandfather, his jaw dropped. "Mom, what did you do to Grandpa's hair?!" He cried.

"I just cut it," Laura replied. "Doesn't it look good?"

"Sure," Charlie replied. "Why not?"

"What was that reaction?" Elijah asked Laura when they reached his car. "Is something wrong with my hair? Tell me!"

"Nothing is wrong with your hair," Laura assured him. "It's fine. Now go home and show Mom, all right?"

"Fine," Elijah replied. "Thank you, Laura dear."

"Oh, you're welcome!" Laura replied, waving as he drove away.

* * *

When he got home, Elijah parked the car in the garage and headed inside. "Ethan?" He called. "Selina? I'm back!"

"Oh, good!" Selina replied. "How did things go..oh my god!" Her eyes widened as she got a look at Elijah's hair, and she burst into uncontrollable laughter that made her cough and gasp for breath. "Oh, my god!" She cried, pounding on the wall. "What in the hell did you do to your...did you do to your hair? I'm gonna pee if I laugh any more!"

"Laura cut it!" Elijah said, feeling offended. "Does it not look good?"

"I like it," Ethan said. "It looks like Clementine's!" Elijah looked down at the pink-haired doll and shook his head. "How is that?" He asked. "That can't be right!"

"Oh, but it is," Selina replied with a smirk, stopping her laughter long enough to go into her and Elijah's bathroom to get a small oval hand mirror, which she handed to him.

"Oh, my god!" Elijah replied. "That Laura! Why would she do such a thing to me?"

"Did you do something to irritate her?" Selina asked. "Like criticize her hair?"

"I didn't criticize!" Elijah replied. "I merely suggested that if she were going to see people, she should wash those damn streaks out of her hair!"

"And now _your_ hair is pink," Selina said. "What have we learned?"

"We've learned that Laura is another one of my children I can't count on," Elijah replied. "And that I can't leave the house until she tells me how to fix it!"

"Oh, it's probably nothing complicated," Selina replied. "I bet it's something that will wash out the next time you take a bath. Most of her dyes are like that, which is why she changes the color so often."

"Even so," Elijah replied firmly. "I'm not leaving the house today!" He then went into his and Selina's bedroom and slammed the door closed.

* * *

Selina and Ethan both decided it would be best to leave him alone for the rest of the day, but just before he went to bed, Ethan took Clementine in hand and went to talk to his father.

"Daddy?" Ethan said. "It's me, Ethan. Can I come in?"

"Sure," Elijah replied tiredly. "Why not?"

Ethan opened the door and came in, standing by his father's bed and clutching Clementine to his chest. "I want you to have Clementine tonight," he said, thrusting the doll towards his father. "She doesn't want you to be sad and lonely, so I'm letting her keep you company."

Elijah slowly reached out and took the doll from his son, gazing at it. "Well...thank you," he told Ethan, well aware of a catch in his throat. The doll, which usually filled him with feelings of horror, didn't seem as bad as usual this time. He held it against himself and smiled at Ethan. "Thank you for this, son," he said. "I'll take good care of her."

"All right," Ethan nodded. "Good night, Daddy!" He gave his father a big hug then scampered out of the room. Elijah grinned and hugged the doll, just as Selina opened the door and strode in. "Well, it looks like I've been replaced," she said with good humor. "You two wanna be alone, or what?"

"Ethan brought this to me," Elijah replied. "He thought it would make me feel better to have company while I slept. At least Clementine will be better company than that damn cat Felix we used to have. Where the hell is he?"

"Who knows," Selina shrugged. "Maybe he ran out an open window or something. I haven't seen him either."

Elijah took a deep breath and looked at Selina. "I know this is probably going to sound crazy," he said. "And don't take it the wrong way, but...would you mind sleeping in the spare bedroom tonight? It'll mean more to Ethan if you do."

"Oh, no problem!" Selina replied. "I was actually gonna ask you if that would be all right myself, cause with you and that hair, there's _no way _I'm gonna be able to focus on sleeping if I stay in here."

"Yes, yes, good night, dear," Elijah told her as she gathered up pajamas to take to bed with her. "I think it's really sweet what you're doing for Ethan," she told him before she left. "I know he appreciates it and I-I do too. So thanks. Oh, and by the way, I called Laura and she said that the stuff she used on you _will_ wash out the next time you stick your head underwater. You wanna do it now, or wait until I can join you for a shower in the morning?"

"Oh, I can wait," Elijah replied. "No one here to see me but Clementine now, and she's _complimented _me on my style."

"Well, all right, then," Selina chuckled. "Good night, Elijah." She kissed him, and then Clementine, and then went to bed, while Elijah shut off the light, held Clementine close to himself, and drifted off into nothingness.


	23. The Un-Birthday

It took several days, but finally, Gregory and Katherine went to Selina and Elijah's to talk about Nadia's allegations against her.

"What?" Selina asked. "Who are you talking about?"

"My daughter," Katherine replied. "Her name is Nadia. She looks like me. She was a vampire when you tried to go after her in the twenties. That's when you were blonde, right?"

"I hope you don't expect me to remember her specifically," Selina replied. "I killed a lot of people in the twenties, but I wouldn't remember any one person." She paused. "Well, except for Alfred McIntyre. He was the son of a rival of mine. I _really_ wanted to get her back."

"And you probably did that with Nadia too," Gregory replied. "Cause she was the daughter of your enemy. Right?"

Selina sighed and rolled her eyes. "I have no idea, all right? And if I _had_ wanted to hurt your daughter as some sort of vengeance against you, would you be surprised?"

"But why Nadia?" Katherine asked. "She has nothing to do with what happened between us! You should have left her alone!"

"Just a minute now," Selina replied. "There are plenty of people in my life that _you_ should have left alone, but used without hesitation, you baby murderer!"

Gregory gave Katherine a stern look. "What's she talking about?"

Katherine sighed. "I had something I needed to get from her fiance, and I though that she would just get in the way, so I had my maid Emily make her ill so she would be out of the way for a bit. Of course, it turned out she was pregnant at the time, but the doctor was a vampire, and he gave her his blood, which saved both her and the baby, so no harm done."

"No harm done?!" Selina repeated. Gregory held her back as she tried to rush and strangle Katherine. "What the fuck do you mean 'No harm done' about nearly killing both me and my child, but when I have a perfectly excusable reason for what I did with your daughter, you're holding me accountable?"

"She's not," Gregory replied. "But I am. Why couldn't you have taken the high road, Mother?"

"Oh, my god!" Selina replied, standing on her toes to look into Gregory's eyes. "She's messed you up, hasn't she? Got you defending all the crap she's done!"

"No, that's not true!" Gregory replied. "What she did to you was just as horrendous and should not have happened, but the answer to violence is not more violence!"

"What's all the shouting in here?" Elijah asked. "I can hear you all the way from my office, Gregory!"

"Selina tried to hurt my daughter Nadia in the twenties," Katherine told Elijah. "And we're upset about that."

"So they came marching over here to scold me," Selina sighed. "Without even so much as thinking of scenarios like the fact that she could have been lying!"

"She knew you were blonde," Gregory pointed out. "And she wouldn't have known that if she hadn't seen you or been around you, cause you were so good at hiding yourself."

"So, supposing I did have an encounter with this daughter of yours," Selina told Katherine, "What the hell do you want me to do about it now?"

"I want you to apologize for whatever it was that you put her through," Katherine replied.

"Only if you go back to Mystic Falls, kiss my son's grave, and apologize yourself!" Selina replied. "I'm not gonna be the only one who takes responsibility here, especially when_ you've _never apologized for anything like that in your life!"

With an outraged look, Katherine turned to Elijah and opened her mouth, but he cut her off. "That's enough," he said. "While you have every right to be upset about Selina's behavior toward your daughter, Katherine, I can't deny that Selina also has room to be upset, and I have no doubt that by now, just a simple apology won't fix everything that's gone wrong."

"You're damn right it won't!" Selina replied. Elijah frowned at her and shook his head, causing her to go quiet. "However, he continued. "I think that if the two of you agree to stay the hell away from each other, that should be enough to at least make things civil between the two of you."

"So I don't have to apologize?" Selina asked, light in her eyes.

"No," Elijah shook his head. "But you have to promise not to make any more trouble for Katherine's daughter, regardless of how warranted you believe it is."

"Fine," Selina replied with a roll of her eyes as she threw her hands up. "I'll leave it alone."

Elijah nodded and turned to Gregory and Katherine. "Is that arrangement satisfactory?"

"I guess," Katherine pouted. She still wanted an apology. "I guess that's enough."

"Well, we'll be going then," Gregory said, pulling Katherine away from his mother. "Come along, Katerina." They left and once the door was closed, Elijah stared at his wife. "Can I trust you to keep your promise?" He asked.

"Yes," Selina replied. "You're always so suspicious all the time!"

"Well it's not like I don't know that fighting with Katherine is some big dream of yours cause of all she's done to you," Elijah replied. "Can you blame me for my suspicions?"

"Well, no, but..." Selina sighed. "Why did you excuse her from apologizing to me? Why is it always me that has to take the high road?"

"Cause when you're allowed to take the low road, bad things happen," Elijah replied. "And if you let it go too far, my father would have a legitimate reason to come after you without my being able to protect you this time. Do you want that?"

"No," Selina shook her head resentfully. "And I never thought of that."

"Well, I'm glad I brought it to your attention, then," Elijah replied.

Selina turned and headed in the direction of the the bedroom, and Elijah assumed she was going to sulk, a habit of hers when she lost an argument. But then he heard the water turn on, and realized that she was taking a bath. He stayed in the living room for a bit, and as he passed the hall mirror going into the kitchen, he realized that he was bit stubble-covered and went into the bathroom to shave.

"Hi, handsome!" Selina greeted him from her bubble bath that had clearly cheered her up. "Wanna join me?"

"Possibly," Elijah replied, lathering up his face. "After I shave."

"No, don't do that!" Selina cried. "I like your stubble! It makes you look wild and dangerous!"

Elijah paused, gave his wife (who, with her hair up, resembled their next door neighbor's Yorkie) a smile. "Oh, all right," he said. "I suppose I can indulge you just this once."

"Thank you!" She cried and leaped out of the bathtub to hug him, getting bubbles all over his suit. But since she was naked, he didn't mind so much.

"All right, all right," he said, taking ample time to set his roving gaze on her wet, soapy body. "Let me shave a little and I'll join you after that."

"All right!" Selina replied and got back in the bath. The whole time Elijah was shaving, he saw Selina staring at him in the mirror. "Staring at me won't make me go any faster," he said.

"Fine," she replied "But I wasn't staring at you to make you go faster. I was staring because I have a nice view of your butt from the tub!" Then, she put her hands over her eyes, not opening them again until she heard the sound of him getting in the bath beside her, and felt him take her in his arms. With a grin, she leaned forward to kiss him. "This is nice," she said.

"And you're a good girl," Elijah said into her hair as he stroked it. "You should want more than vengeance."

"I know," Selina replied. "I'm sorry. It's just that Katherine pisses me off sometimes! Remember all that happened to me because of her?"

"But think about this," Elijah replied. "She spent all those years running from my brother. She never had a single person to truly care for her. You have. Despite all that she's done to you, who's the luckier one, darling?"

"Me," Selina replied, laying her head on Elijah's shoulder. "I think it's me."

"Yes," Elijah replied. "And don't you forget that." He kissed her, shifting her so that he could get inside of her while she held him and ran her fingers through his hair. She was a lucky woman after all.

* * *

"I can't believe you did that to your father's hair," Edward told Laura over breakfast. "What in the world possessed you?"

"Well, he was picking on me about my streaks!" Laura cried. "Was I just supposed to let that go? And it's not like what I did caused any permanent damage. I used the stuff that washed out easily."

"I'm not sure your father saw it that way," Edward replied. "I hope he won't disown you for that, like he did with Annaliese."

"He'd be a hypocrite if he did," Laura replied. "Mom does stuff that taxes him a lot more and he still loves her."

Then the doorbell rang and Charlie went to answer it, leading Elizabeth in a few minutes later.

"What are you doing here?" Laura asked her. "Do your parents know?"

"No," Elizabeth shook her head. "But Mom's _real_ daughter came, and she's a vampire too, so what does she want _me_ for? Can I stay here instead?"

"Let me call your parents," Laura told her. "If they know you're gone, I'm sure they're worried, since you said you left without telling anyone."

"All right," Elizabeth nodded and went to sit next to Charlie.

"What's the matter?" He asked, sensing something was wrong.

"I think I've been replaced," Elizabeth replied sadly. "Mom has another daughter, and _she_ is a vampire!"

"Yeah, she's here," Laura said as she brought the phone in the living room. "You want to speak to her, Gregory?"

"Well, is she all right?" Gregory asked his sister.

"Yeah, she seems fine," Laura replied. "A little stressed out about Katherine's daughter, but not harmed."

"Can I talk to her?" Gregory asked.

"Sure," Laura replied. She took the phone away from her ear and eyed Elizabeth. "You wanna talk to your dad?"

Elizabeth nodded and reached for the phone. "Hi, Daddy!" She said. "Are you mad at me?"

"No," Gregory replied. "But what's this Laura is saying about you being upset?"

"Mom hasn't talked to me since stupid Nadia showed up," Elizabeth replied. "So I ran away."

"Because you miss your mother?" Gregory asked.

"Yes," Elizabeth nodded.

"Well, not to sound selfish here," Gregory replied. "But did you think that if you ran away, it would make _me _very sad, cause I'd miss you?"

"No," Elizabeth replied. "I didn't. Sorry."

"Well, I _would_ miss you," Gregory replied.

"Thank you," Elizabeth said. "Will you talk to Mom and tell her to pay more attention to me?"

"I don't know how well I'll do," he told her. "But I'll try. Why don't you stay at Aunt Laura's for now, and I'll call you after I talk to your mother?"

"All right," Elizabeth replied. "I can do that. Thank you, Daddy. I love you!"

Gregory chuckled. "I love you too, darling. See you in a bit."

Elizabeth ended the call and handed the phone to Laura. "Daddy says he wants me to stay until he talks to Mom. Is that okay?"

"Yes," Laura replied. "I talked to him about it before I gave you the phone, actually."

"All right," Elizabeth said, standing up and going to look at herself in the mirror. "Can you put pink streaks in my hair, Aunt Laura?"

"Of course I can," Laura replied. Then she looked at Charlie. "You want me to do something a little fun to you too?"

"Sure!" Charlie replied and ran next to Elizabeth. "And then, when Daddy gets home, you can give him fancy hair too, so we all match."

Laura chuckled as they walked to her practice studio in the basement. "I don't know how well that will go over," she said. "But of course I'll give it shot."

* * *

"It's about time you all showed up to celebrate my birthday," Henry greeted his parents and Susanna with mock sternness. "It's been practically a week! I was beginning to think you'd forgotten!"

"Oh, I wouldn't forget," Lenora replied dryly as they all made their way in. "Giving birth to you was one of the most hellish experiences of my life. No offense."

"None taken," Henry replied easily. "Take a seat."

Lenora and James sat down together on the sofa while Susanna sat on the foot rest of the easy chair, and James said, "You know, it's so nice to be with family, after all I've had to go through at work."

"Why?" Margaret asked as she came in from the kitchen. "What's going on with you at work?"

"Doctor Putnam is trying to get me to stay on as chief of police," James replied darkly. "Even if everyone I'm supposed to arrest is no one who deserves it. What I wouldn't give to slap the cuffs on _him_ some day."

"So would you quit?" Susanna asked. "Do you want to?"

"We don't have to talk about this anymore," James said quickly. "Not when we're supposed to be celebrating Henry's birthday."

"Well, all right," Henry replied. "If you're sure."

"Yes," James replied. "I'm sure."

They sat in silence, looking back and forth between James and Henry, and then Margaret stood up and said, "You know what, I think I'll go get the cake out of the refrigerator."

"I'll help," Lenora replied. "Susanna, you come too." Susanna rolled her eyes, but she got up to follow Margaret and her mother to the kitchen, leaving Henry and James alone.

"You know, it's not really my birthday," Henry reminded his father. "If you need to talk...I don't mind."

James sighed. "I was just thinking how easy this whole mess would have been if I was still like I used to be, you know? Before I met your mother and she made me all soft? Back then, I couldn't have cared less who I tortured as long as I got paid for it, but now...now it's harder."

"Well, I think you should quit then," Henry replied. "If it's not making you happy."

"I would, but Doctor Putnam said that if I worked for him, your mother, I, and you kids would be safe," James replied. "if I were to quit, you would all be fair game for him, and with you liking Margaret, Susanna liking Marcel, and you both being 'impure' by Doctor Putnam's standards, passing up an offer that would make all of you immune to his craziness would be foolish," James replied.

"If you want to keep working for him, keep working for him," Henry told his father. "But if you're doing it just to save us, then you should quit. "Cause it's a nice sentiment, sure, but the very parts of us that would get us in trouble are the same things that could protect us. Mom, Susanna, and I can take care of ourselves. Do what's right for you, though. We'll support you either way."

"All right," James sighed. "I'll think about it."

Just then, Margaret called out, "Your cake is ready, Henry. Come on."

"Good!" Henry called back. "We're coming!"


	24. The Power Of Words

"Are you sure you have it in you to go ski down this mountain?" Tristan asked Emily. He'd gotten a look at the mountain she'd wanted to ski down and it'd made his heart jump into his throat.

"Thanks for being concerned," Emily replied, kissing him. "But I should be fine, really! We came here all the time before my mom died, and I told myself I'd go down the big mountain one day." She paused, adjusting her red hat with a white pom-pom on it. "But if you're scared of heights, you don't have to come."

"Oh, I don't plan to," Tristan admitted. He was scared of heights like his mother, and there was not a chance that he was going up that high. "I'll just wait in the lodge with a cocoa for you when you come back. Now are you _sure_ you're gonna be all right?"

"Yes," Emily repeated. "I will. I promise."

Tristan gave her a long look and sighed. Despite the fact that she'd seemed very healthy recently, if something bad were to happen, he didn't want her to be alone.

"Actually," he said, "I think I'll go with you. It was a good idea for you to get me ski gear just in case."

"Well, I know you too well not to," Emily replied.

"Now all you have to do is pray for me," Tristan told her as he went to get dressed.

Once he was properly clothed for skiing, he reluctantly followed Emily out to the ski lift. "Are you sure this is safe?" He asked, eying the lift skeptically. "There aren't any seat belts or anything, and it goes awfully high."

"Take my hand," Emily said and took it as they sat down on the chair lift and it rode over all the ski slopes. "Shut your eyes, hold my hand, and everything will be fine."

Tristan listened to this piece of advice until Emily said it was time for them to disembark.

"All right," Tristan replied, relieved when his feet were on firm, snowy ground again. "Where's the big jump you were talking about?"

"This is right near where the ski school is," Emily replied. "You can go there and get lessons while I ski, and then you'll feel more comfortable."

"I don't know if I'm comfortable with you skiing by yourself while I'm at some class," Tristan replied.

"Just trust me," Emily said, her brown eyes looking into his blue ones. "I'll be fine, I promise. I've done this a million times."

"Fine," Tristan replied. He headed off to the ski school and tried to focus on what he was being taught, and not Emily cracking her skull and dying. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her waiting for him as he emerged from the class with everyone else. "Here you are!" He breathed and hugged her hard. "Did you do that hill you wanted to do?"

"Nah, the line was too long," Emily replied. "Maybe I will later, though. How were your lessons? Did they help?"

"A little," Tristan replied. "But I still don't think I'm cut out to be a skier."

"Oh, it's okay," Emily replied. "I have another idea."

they headed down the ski lift and then Emily led him to a field covered in snow where people were having snowball fights. "Is this more your speed?" She asked.

"Definitely," Tristan replied. He was nervous about hitting Emily with a snowball, so he let her make the first move. They continued to hurl snowballs until, freezing and wet, they headed back to the lodge for some cocoa and to shower.

"While I shower, you can write your parents," Emily suggested. "And then when it's your turn, I'll write my dad."

Tristan sighed. "Not to sound perverted or anything, but...I wish we could shower _together._ You know, for body heat purposes and all that. But you're technically in my sister's body, so that can't happen."

"I know," Emily replied, setting some cocoa down in front of him, and then giving him a surprise deep kiss. "But I needed to kiss you anyway." She smiled, went in to shower, and as Tristan drank his cocoa and wrote his mother, he couldn't help but think how lucky he was.

* * *

"I thought you were going to work today," Elijah said to Selina as he came upon her and Ethan (who had an off day from kindergarten) stirring something up in a churn. "What are you doing?"

"Mommy and I are practicing making ice cream," Ethan replied. "The first couple of batches were icky, but Mommy is getting better."

"I was thinking of introducing homemade ice cream sandwiches to the inventory," Selina added. "But I have to know how to make ice cream before that happens." She gave Elijah some ice cream in a little cup with a spoon. "Try that and tell me if it's good, would you?"

"Of course," Elijah replied. He put some in his mouth, swished it around like he was tasting wine, and when he didn't make a horrible face, Selina assumed everything was okay. "Good?" She asked.

"Yes," Elijah replied honestly. "Very."

"Well, all right, then," Selina replied. "I'll just make up the cookies now, we'll put ice cream in between 'em, freeze 'em, and we'll have all the test ice cream sandwiches we want!" She looked at Elijah. "You think you can handle that?"

"I don't know," Elijah replied. "But I'll certainly try."

"And me too!" Ethan added.

* * *

Later that night, after Ethan that been put to bed, Elijah was reading when he heard the knock on his office door. "Come in," he called.

He heard a _thump!_ on the carpet outside and got up, feeling nervous. He approached door, and just as he reached it, he had to step back, cause it opened, showing Selina with what was left over of a batch of ice cream.

"Oh, I can't," he said. "I had way too many ice cream sandwiches earlier. They probably haven't even all digested yet."

"You don't have to eat anymore if you don't want to," Selina replied. She'd taken a blue and white striped shirt from their closet and put it on, buttoning it in a way that exposed her black, lacy bra. "I just thought we could have a little fun." She put the churn down and stretched, which pulled the shirt up to show Elijah her panties. "But if you don't have room to have a little fun with ice cream, I suppose I can just throw all this away..."

"No!" Elijah cried and backed her up against the wall, kissing her deep. "But not in here. In the kitchen. It'll be easier to clean up that way."

"All right," Selina winked, picking up the bucket. "I'll be waiting for you in my panties when you get there."

Once she was gone, Elijah put his book away and ran to his and Selina's bedroom to change his clothes to his usual outfit for sexy times: messy hair, no shirt, no shoes, and jeans. Selina had been smart to wait until Ethan had been put to bed to bring her needs to his attention. If she hadn't, things would have been a lot less fun.

After he'd changed, he made his way to the dark kitchen. The light suddenly turned on, and he found himself staring at a black-panty-clad Selina. "Well, there you are," she said with a grin. "Ohhh, and you changed! Good idea!"

Elijah then looked down and saw that there were cream colored towels laid out all over the kitchen floor. "Why are there towels everywhere?" He asked her.

"Well, you said you wanted to keep the place clean, right?" Selina asked. "This is how I thought that could be accomplished."

"But won't the towels move around when you and I are...?" Elijah trailed off. "There'll still be a mess!"

"Oh, come on!" Selina replied, reaching into the bucket of leftover ice cream and flinging some in his direction that hit him right in the face. "At least give me credit for trying!"

Elijah was taken aback for a moment as he adjusted to the cold ice cream on his face. Then, he strode up to Selina, snatched the bucket out of her hand, and smushed a handful of Ice cream not only all over her face, but in her hair as well.

"Hey!" Selina cried, although she was laughing. "What did you do that for?"

"Well, you started it," Elijah replied and kissed her as he pulled her to himself. Selina put her arms around his neck and moaned as she felt his hands go down her back and cup her bottom, giving it a squeeze. He then lowered her down onto one of the towels, covering her belly with ice cream, which he slowly licked off afterwards.

"If you keep doing that," Selina replied as he removed her bra and underwear and unzipped his pants. "If you keep covering me with ice cream, do you know how sticky I'm gonna be tomorrow?"

"Oh, that doesn't matter," Elijah replied just before he began sucking leisurely on her nipples. "You can always shower in the morning, I'll help."

Selina squirmed as she felt Elijah's tongue go inside her. "What a nice offer," she got out, trying not to yell so she wouldn't wake Ethan. "You're gonna kill me, you know," she whispered, panting heavily.

"I know," Elijah replied, and even though the kitchen was poorly lit, she could still see the smirk on his face. And even if she hadn't been able to, she could hear it in his voice. He pushed inside her and leaned down to kiss her at the same time, so his mouth would swallow her shriek, and Ethan's sleep wouldn't be interrupted.

After they were both worn out, they lay in each other's arms on the kitchen floor. "You have the strength to make it to bed?" Selina asked Elijah. "Or do you just want to spend the rest of the night here?"

Elijah zipped his pants, stood up, stuck her underwear and his pocket, then carried her to bed, tucking her in, and kissing her goodnight. "This way, we won't have to explain to Ethan why Mommy and Daddy were naked together in the kitchen," Selina smiled. "Smart move."

"I do occasionally have those," Elijah agreed. "Good night, dear."

Selina yawned. "Goodnight, Elijah."

* * *

"I don't believe this!" Annaliese told Peter as she sorted out the mail. "All we usually get is junk mail, but here's something for you! Who is Jasper Carmichael? Why would he write you?"

Peter took the letter in hand and peered at it. "He's my father," he said and set it back down on the table.

"You told me your father was dead!" Annaliese replied. "And your mom! You said you killed everyone in your family!"

"I did..." Peter replied. "But that was my other family. Real brother, adoptive parents. My real dad's a warlock, and if I hadn't been turned into a vampire, I'd have powers too."

"Wait,"Annaliese said. "Hold up. What?!"

"My adoptive parents were religious fanatics," Peter told her patiently. "They kidnapped my brother and me from our real parents, whom they thought were wicked and evil so they could save our souls and stomp the magic out of us."

"Oh?" Annaliese raised an eyebrow. "And how did that work out?"

"Not as well as they hoped," Peter replied. "My magic was more active than my brother's, so he got all the good attention while I...I didn't. When praying didn't make me human, my adoptive father tried to beat the magic out of me. It was after one of the beatings that I ran away from home to look for my real parents, but got turned into a vampire along the way."

"Well, obviously you found your real parents again, if they can send you letters," Annaliese replied.

"Yep, I found them," Peter replied. "And we kept up contact. How do you think I got into Saydell?"

"I wondered about that!" Annaliese replied. "So your real dad is a rich warlock. Hmmm..."

"Yeah, I think your father would actually like him," Peter smirked. "Can you imagine what it would be like if our dads knew each other, and then your dad found out I was my dad's son?"

"Daddy would be terrified!" Annaliese giggled and situated herself in Peter's arms, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "But that's not gonna happen."

"Who knows?" Peter said with a grin, running his fingers through Annaliese's hair. "My dad knows a lot of people. I'll just call and ask him, shall I?"

"And if he says that he _does_ know my dad...I have to see when they meet," Annalise said. "I would pay money to be there for that meeting."

"You might not have to pay at all," Peter replied, opening the envelope his father had sent. "It's an invitation to some rich people party. He wants me to come and he says I can bring someone. Wanna come with me?"

"Sure," Annaliese replied. "I'm sure I can dig up a dress somewhere."

* * *

"Darling?" Elijah poked his head into the library, where Selina was once again working on his memoirs. "Are you busy a couple of days from now?"

"Why?" Selina asked, her fingers pausing on the keyboard.

"Cause a friend of mine is hosting a benefit party and I haven't seen him in awhile. I know boring stuff like that's not your thing, but I would enjoy it much more if you were there. And Jasper is one of the many friends I have that I haven't introduced you to yet. He even says he wants to introduce me to his son, whom he's gonna start teaching the family business."

"Of course I'll be there with you," Selina replied. "I just need to find a dress."


	25. A Best Friend's Surprise

"Okay, now behave yourself," Elijah said as he and Selina walked into Peter's father's party. "No doing anything ridiculous that will get us bad attention. Act like a lady."

"Oh," Selina whispered. "So I shouldn't shout the word 'Penis' at the top of my lungs cause that would be inappropriate?"

"Exactly," Elijah nodded. "Don't do that."

As they made their way toward the punch table, a man with gray-streaked dark brown hair came toward them. "Elijah!" He cried. "My old friend!"

They embraced and when they separated, Elijah introduced Selina. "This is my wife, Selina," he said. "Selina, this is my friend, Jasper Carmichael."

"Hello," Selina said, smiling and shaking his hand. "Elijah's told me such good things about you."

"Oh, you didn't," Jasper smiled.

"What about this son of yours?" Elijah asked. "Is he here? I'd like to meet him!"

"Sure," Jasper turned and called out. And when the son approached, and Elijah saw who it was, he passed out, with Selina just barely stopping him before his head hit the floor.

"Oh, my god!" She said and lay her husband down the rest of the way.

"What's wrong with him?" Jasper asked. "Is this a blood thing? Does he need some?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "He's fine."

"Just a little surprised to see me is all," Peter replied with a grin. "We've actually met before, Father."

"You did?" Jasper asked. "When?"

"When his daughter and I were both at Saydell," Peter replied, and then motioned at Annaliese. "Father, this is Annaliese, Elijah's daughter. And I suppose you could call her my girlfriend, if you wanted."

"No," Elijah mumbled as Selina helped him to his feet. "Don't."

"Don't what?" Jasper asked.

"Don't call Annaliese Peter's girlfriend," Elijah replied.

"It's a bit of a sensitive issue for him, since when your son and Annaliese first met, she was a little girl, and we didn't know who Peter's family was, so Elijah assumed that Peter wasn't from a good family and was just gonna get Annaliese in trouble," Selina explained to Jasper. "I hope that doesn't bother you."

Jasper gave Peter a look and Peter just shrugged. "That doesn't surprise me, nor does it offend me," Jasper said. "I only recently convinced him to get his act together." He smiled at Annaliese. "Thanks for encouraging him. I wondered what made him change his mind."

"Oh, no!" Peter shook his head. "If you think I changed just for some sappy romantic reason, that's not what happened!"

"You mean you decided to grow up on your own?" Jasper asked, looking surprised. "I don't know if I believe that."

Peter rolled his eyes and Jasper turned away from him to look at Elijah with concern. "Can I get you a drink or something?" He asked. "You still look pale."

"Yes, please," Elijah nodded. "I'll be needing _lots_ of drinks!"

Despite being told to be a lady, it was Selina who was more worried about Elijah's deportment as the servers kept plying him with alcohol until he dozed off during Jasper's thank you speech to the members of the foundation and interrupted Jasper's talk with his snoring while she tried to silence him.

* * *

"I might have _known_ something like this would happen!" Elijah told Selina when they returned and she ushered him into their room so he could rest. His voice slurred as he flopped onto their bed, face first on the mattress, his head pounding from all the drinking he'd done.

"See?" Selina replied. "This is why you always have to be nice to people!"

"Why him?" Elijah turned, his face to her. "Why, of all the boys who could be Jasper's son, did it have to be him?"

"Who knows?" Selina replied. "But look at this in the positive way: at least he's trying to get a job now. And you know he comes from a good family. That's something, isn't it?"

"No," Elijah shook his head. "Not when I'll still have to look at him across the table every holiday. I just wanted her to find a nice boy who'd make her behave herself!"

Selina sighed and gave him a hug. "I know it's not what you expected, but we can make the best of this, okay? And by the way, that's what my mom wanted for me too, and look at me now. If it worked for me, can't you think that it just might work for Annaliese?"

"I can't ever!" Elijah complained.

"Oh, come on," Selina replied. "If I can deal with Katherine being with Gregory (as you always tell me I should) you can deal with Annaliese and Peter, if Peter is the one who makes Annaliese happy."

Elijah didn't respond to this except to make one more moan of sadness with his face still smushed up against the mattress. Selina paused at the door of the bedroom, rolled her eyes, and went to get him a coffee.

* * *

"Is Dad all right?" Annaliese asked the next day. "I've never seen him pass out like that!"

"Well why don't you come in and see for yourself," Selina said. "And I know this might sound presumptuous, but...would you stay with your father? I have to go to the bakery and your father is so weird right now that I really don't want to leave him alone."

"Weird how?" Annaliese asked.

"Well, he's tucked himself into our bed with the covers up to his chin and he keeps muttering, "No, no, no!" Selina replied.

"And I assume he's talking about my relationship with Peter?" Annaliese asked, eyebrow raised. "I'm surprised he hasn't poured out all his feelings to Margaret, since she's his favorite child. Well, her or Laura."

"You're gonna probably think I'm the biggest idiot in the world for suggesting this, but...could you talk to him?" Selina asked Annaliese tentatively. "I know you two have never really talked but...I think that since this thing with Peter is all you, you should be the one who talks to your father."

"I don't know how well that will work," Annaliese replied. "But okay. I'll try and talk Daddy off the ledge while you go to work."

"Thank you!" Selina replied and gave Annaliese a hug. "Good luck! Oh, and I have a cup of coffee for him by the machine in the kitchen. Would you bring it to him?"

"Sure I will!" Annaliese called. "No worries."

Once she was sure that her mother was gone, she grabbed the cup of coffee and went to see her father who, when he heard the door open, stopped rolling around in bed and muttering and sat up.

"Selina?" He muttered without looking. When he saw it was Annaliese, he sighed. "Where's your mother?" He asked.

"She had to go to the bakery," Annaliese replied. "And she was worried about leaving you alone, so I agreed to watch you." She handed him his coffee. "Here, drink this."

Elijah took it grudgingly, took a few sips, and peered at her. "You don't need to stay with me," he said. "You can go home. I don't need a babysitter."

Annaliese ignored this. "Did you pass out at Peter's father's thing because he was there and you weren't expecting it?"

"Well, what other reason would there have been?" Elijah asked. "I had no idea he was gonna be there, much less that I would see him as Jasper's son."

"But why did it upset you?" Annaliese asked. "I thought for sure that it would at least make you more accepting of my relationship with Peter, since he's the son of a guy you know and he's getting a respectable job."

"That's what your mother said," Elijah replied.

"Don't you think she's right?" Annaliese asked, looking her father in the eye. "I mean, I know you and I have never really gotten along, and I will agree that it's as much my fault as anything, but...now can you give Peter a chance? You gave Henry a chance for Margaret."

"And as your mother pointed out, I've often urged her to be kind to Katherine for Gregory's sake," Elijah said. "So I guess I can try to be civil to Peter for you. As long as you tell him not to act like a terror every time I come and visit."

"All right," Annaliese nodded. "I'll do what I can."

"And I hope his father has told him that he has to be polite to me," Elijah mused. "That would be nice. You shouldn't have to do all the work yourself."

"He's really not so bad," Annaliese said. "He just likes to get under your skin cause you give him a reaction. Just don't show him how upset you are, and he'll stop!"

"But do you realize how hard that is?" Elijah asked.

"I know it'll be hard," Annaliese replied and then gave her surprised father a hug. "But if you want to establish dominance over him, show him who's boss, it's what you have to do."

"I'll give it a shot," Elijah said. "So...when's the next time I can visit? I didn't get a good look at your apartment last time."

* * *

"I can't believe your dad is still working for that guy," Margaret said. "I thought for sure he would quit!"

"Well, he wants to be able to arrest Doctor PutDumb when he finally oversteps his boundaries, and he can't do that if he quits, now can he?" Henry asked. "My grandma is really upset about Grandma Astrid's arrest. I heard her and Mom talking and Mom had to talk Grandma out of going down to the council building and beating the crap out of Doctor Putnam herself! Then she asked if Grandpa could do it instead, and _that_ offer was refused too."

"You want to go beat him up too?" Margaret asked.

"No, he actually says I'm safe cause of Dad's job, so he's safe from me," Henry replied. "At least for now." He paused. "But who knows what sort of stuff he'll try and pull? I always have to be on my guard. Especially about my sister. Cause I have no doubt Susanna will do something to go into his trap."

"Like what?" Margaret asked.

"Oh, I don't know," Henry replied. "Shoot off her mouth and get herself in trouble, maybe. Or offer to take Grandpa Alistair and Grandma Astrid's places in jail so they can be set free. I can totally see her doing that. That sort of self-sacrifice is absolutely ridiculous."

Margaret paused. "Wasn't the whole reason why your mom ended up with your dad because she made a deal with him to save her aunt, who your father was going to capture and punish? If she hadn't done that, you wouldn't be here."

"Yes, I'm aware of what she did, and the consequences," Henry replied. "She got lucky. Not everybody is that lucky. I highly doubt Doctor Putnam will fall in love with Susanna and let her go. And even if he _did, _Dad would never condone it."

"And let me guess," Margaret said, cuddling against Henry. "You wouldn't condone it either?"

"No," Henry shook his head. "Definitely not. Let my sister marry the man who's put my family through so much stuff and will probably kill Grandma Astrid and Grandpa Alistair one day? You're damn right I wouldn't."

Just then, the phone rang and Henry got up to answer it. "Hello?"

"Honey!" Lenora cried, her voice full of excitement. "Somehow, your Grandpa Alistair and Grandma Astrid got out of jail. I mean, they won't tell us how, but they called Mom to tell her, and she told me, and isn't that great?"

"Well, yeah!" Henry replied. "And they won't tell you how they got free?"

"No," Lenora replied. "But I'm not gonna worry about it. The fact that they got out is the important thing."


	26. Dark And Stormy

"So...are you all right with Annaliese and Peter now?" Selina asked Elijah. "Did you and Annaliese have a nice little talk? You know, I was gonna call Klaus and Amy to come watch you, but then I thought Annaliese would be better."

"Thank you," Elijah replied, "for sparing me the humiliation of my brother seeing me during one of my darker hours."

"It's no problem," Selina replied. "Oh, and Alistair's been released from magic jail."

"Really?" Elijah asked. "I had no idea he was even in!"

"Well, he was," Selina replied. "And Astrid too. Susanna got them out. Why don't you go see him? That'll be a much nicer visit for you than Peter, I think."

"True," Elijah replied as Selina gave him a hug. "But I promised Annaliese I'd visit again. At least for this next time, will you come with me?"

"Of course," Selina replied. "Whatever makes it easier for you. And I'm proud that you're trying with Annaliese. You have no idea how happy that makes me."

* * *

The day that Elijah had arranged to visit Annaliese and Peter did not turn out to be a good day for either of them. Peter had made a confession over breakfast that caused Annaliese a lot of anger and concern.

"We've been together for a bit now," he said, "And now that my dad is gonna bring me into the business, I feel I should tell you that...I'm not a vampire. I never was. I only said I was so you would be more at ease with me."

"Excuse me?" Annaliese asked. "But you've made it seem like you were a vampire as long as we've met! For fuck's sake, I thought that's what you were when I _slept_ with you!" She chucked a fork at his head, which hit him.

"Oh, my god!" Peter replied. "Are you pregnant? _Please_ don't tell me you're pregnant."

"I'm not and you're damn lucky!" Annaliese replied. "I'm on pills!"

Peter breathed a sigh of relief. "Good, cause I'm not ready to be a parent yet."

"Obviously," Annaliese replied, eyes narrowed. "So if you're not a vampire, what are you? A warlock like your father?"

"Yes," Peter nodded. "Exactly."

"Well, I...I don't know what to say," Annalise told him. "Except that I...I don't think I can be around you right now. I think I need some time for myself." So she went into her room to read and wasn't disturbed until she heard the distant sound of the doorbell, followed by a knock on the bedroom door. "It's your parents," Peter called. "And I think you should come out."

"Fine!" Annaliese cried. "But once they leave, I'm leaving too!" She put her book down on the bed and strode out, putting on a happy face for her mom and dad.

"Mom! Dad!" She cried, giving both Elijah and Selina hugs. "So glad you could make it!"

But Selina noticed the odd look on her face and looked at her with concern. "Is something wrong?" She asked. "Cause if it is, we can always come back later."

"No, everything is fine," Annaliese replied, trying to keep her voice light and cheerful. "Now, can I get you anything to drink?"

"I'm fine," Elijah said, and Selina nodded. "Me too."

So they sat in the living room staring at each other. It wasn't much trouble for Elijah, since his goal was to really have a good look at the design of the furniture in the apartment, which was a Federalist design, all firm wood furniture, some of which Elijah knew was antique. "Interesting design of the place," he told Peter. "It doesn't seem like you picked it, though."

"Yeah, my dad designed this place, actually," Peter replied. "I always found it a bit severe."

"Well, your father has always been a man of good taste," Elijah replied. "So, when do you start working?"

"Not long from now," Peter replied. "Maybe a week or so."

"Good!" Elijah said. "I hope it works out for you."

"Me too," Peter replied.

"Do _you_ wish Peter the best of luck on his new job?" Elijah asked Annaliese.

"Oh, of course I do!" Annaliese replied. "This is a great opportunity for him! Warlock father and son working together to do whatever it is they do...it's great." She gave Peter a squeeze on the leg that was so painful, he winced.

They had a few minutes more of stilted conversation before Selina finally gave in to her thought that something was wrong between Annaliese and Peter, and insisted that she and Elijah go home. "We can always come back later," she told Annaliese. "And we will, I promise."

Once her parents were gone, Peter told Annaliese, "So, are you gonna go now? Why didn't you just leave with your mom and dad?"

"Cause I'm not going to stay at their house!" Annaliese replied. "I'm gonna go see if my sister and Henry will take me in for the night, and you and I will talk again tomorrow."

"Oh, so I'm not rid of you forever, then?" Peter asked hopefully.

"No," Annaliese shook her head. "I just need a little time to myself, that's all." She packed her bags, bade Peter goodbye, and left, hoping that Margaret would let her stay for the night.

* * *

"Now don't let this whole 'Susanna being in jail' thing make you do anything stupid!" Margaret told Henry. He'd heard about his sister's imprisonment from his father and it had made him angry. "That guy trapped your sister. Who's to say he won't trap you too? Nope, sorry. That's not gonna happen!" She threw herself in front of the door he was trying to get out of. "You stay!"

Henry looked at her for a moment, then chuckled before picking her up, and moving her out of the way. "I love you Maggie," he said. "And I knew you mean well, but...I gotta do this!"

"Fine," Margaret replied, eyes narrowed. "But if you get your dumb self stuck in jail with Susanna, I'm never gonna forgive you!"

"All right!" Henry called over his shoulder. "I'll be careful. Love you!"

Margaret rolled her eyes and sat down on the sofa, flipping through the TV channels until she heard a knock on the door. "Well, that was quick," she told herself. She went to open the door and saw not Henry, but her sister. "Annaliese?" She asked in confusion. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, Peter and I had a fight," Annaliese replied. "I know you and I have never been close, but...can I stay? At least for tonight?"

"Sure," Margaret replied. "Henry's gone out to rescue his sister from jail, so I could use the company."

"All right," Annaliese replied. "Thank you." She came in and said to her sister, "Is there a specific room you want to give me, or can I just pick one?"

"Yeah go pick whichever one you want," Margaret replied. "I don't really care. And after you're settled in...you wanna watch a movie or something?"

"Sure!" Annaliese replied. "I would love that!"

When Annaliese had finished unpacking and came to join Margaret in the living room, Margaret asked, "Would it be indelicate of me to ask what happened between you and Peter? I promise I won't make any snarky remarks about him."

"Well, I've always thought that he was a made vampire, you know?" Annaliese said. "But today, just before Mom and Dad came to visit, he told me that that was a lie, and he was actually a warlock."

"And why does that matter?" Margaret asked. "Don't tell me you're prejudiced against warlocks."

"No, it's not that at all!" Annaliese replied. "But I've been sleeping with him under the pretense that he's a made vampire when he's not! Do you see the problem?"

"Oh, my god!" Margaret exclaimed. "Have you been sleeping with him and not using protection? Are you pregnant?"

"No," Annaliese shook her head. "Fortunately, Mom made me get pills when we were thirteen and I've been taking those, so I'm fine, but what if I hadn't? What if I'd thought that everything was fine because he lied to me, and I _had_ gotten pregnant? I guess he didn't think of _that_ when he decided to lie to me!"

"So are you going to dump him?" Margaret asked. "I'm sure that would make Daddy happy."

"No, I'm not gonna dump him," Annaliese sighed. "I'll spend the night here with you, then go and level with him in the morning. Dad just decided he was ready to accept my having Peter in my life. I'm not gonna throw that away."

"Well, all right then," Margaret nodded. "Wanna watch a movie now?"

"Sure!" Annaliese replied.

Just after midnight, Margaret got a call from Henry saying that he'd managed to extricate his sister from the council jail and bring her incredibly resistant self home.

"I _knew_ she was gonna hate me for dragging her away," Henry said. "She thought she was making some martyr stance for Astrid and Alistair when in reality, she wasn't doing much good at all. But between Dad and me, we got her out of a cell, and Doctor Putnam in one."

"Good," Margaret replied. "So are you coming home?"

"Yes," Henry replied and popped in the living room a few seconds later.

"Oh, we have company!" He said when he saw Annaliese.

"Yeah, I invited my sister to stay for the night," Margaret replied. "Do you mind?"

"Nope," Henry shook his head. "The more the merrier, I say."

"Good," Margaret nodded. "Thank you."

* * *

"How is it _my_ fault?" Henry asked an angry Tristan as the latter advanced on him. Emily had succumbed to her brain tumor a few days before and he was taking it hard. "If it wasn't for the body switch, you would have lost Emily a lot sooner! You should be thanking me for all the extra time you had!"

"It would have been easier for me to see her die when she was supposed to," Tristan replied angrily. "Rather than be given time to be attached to her so when her time finally came, I missed her all the more. Do you understand that? She wasn't even very old!"

"It's not up to me to decide who lives or dies!" Henry replied. "Go be mad at someone else!"

"You made her live longer!" Tristan replied. "You did it once, you can do it again. Get her another body. I-I had someone help me put her essence somewhere. Now we just need a body."

"We'll have to go to the cemetery then, won't we?" Henry asked.

"Yeah!" Tristan replied. "Let's do it tonight!"

* * *

"You're here!" Tristan said when Henry met him at the cemetery gates that night. "I wasn't sure you were gonna show up."

"Well, I had to lie to your sister about where I was going," Henry replied. "Cause I'm sure she wouldn't have liked hearing about what you and I are gonna do. Did you bring container with her essence in it?"

"Yes," Tristan replied, pulling out a small metal box, sealed tight. He then zipped up his bag and offered the box to Henry. "Here it is."

"Good," Henry nodded. "But you have to keep it for now. Watch it closely and don't open it, ot that will wreck everything."

"I'll be careful," Tristan promised.

"Good," Henry said and pulled a flashlight out of his bag, along with a clipping cut from a newspaper article. It was about the daughter of a prominent family who had recently been found dead from an overdose of pills. Like Emily had had before, she had brown eyes and light brown hair. "Here's the body I was thinking about putting Emily in," he said, handing the article to Tristan so he could see the picture. "What do you think?"

Tristan squinted at the unclear photograph and said, "She's as good as anything, I suppose."

"Good," Henry replied. "Now, I'll take you to her grave, and then you wait for me while I get the shovels out of the car."

"Shovels?" Tristan asked. "What do we need shovels for?"

"Well, we've got to dig the body up, stupid!" Henry replied. "I can't put Emily's essence in it if it's buried in a coffin underground! I'm not_ that_ good!"

"We-we have to dig up the body?" Tristan asked. "What if we get caught?"

"Damn it, Tristan!" Henry cried. "That's what we have compulsion for. If anyone tries to hassle us, we'll just send them away."

"Right, okay," Tristan laughed nervously. "I can handle that."

"Good," Henry nodded. "Cause if I was expected to do all this myself, it would be a lot more difficult." He led Tristan to the grave of the human girl who was gonna be Emily's new vessel. "Now wait here," he instructed Tristan. "I'm gonna go get the shovels now."

"All right," Tristan nodded. "But don't take too long."

"Not a problem." Henry replied and zapped the shovels right in front of them. Tristan started and Henry grinned. "Not afraid, are you?" He asked with a smirk.

"Of what?" Tristan asked. "Digging up a body in a cemetery at night when we could very easily get caught? Nah. What's there to be afraid of?"

"Good," Henry nodded. "Now, grab a shovel and start digging!"

They began furiously digging up the grave of the young woman (whose name was Teresa Collins) and before they knew it, they'd reached the vault that contained the coffin. "Now, how do we get this open?" Tristan asked, wiping his sweaty, dirty brow.

"I can get it," Henry replied and pulled it open with a grunt. They found themselves staring at a coffin made of light colored wood with a spray of crushed red roses on top. "All right," Henry said. "Now we have to pull the coffin out. Do you still have hold of the box with Emily's essence in it?"

"Well, duh!" Tristan whispered angrily. "And keep your voice down! We've been lucky not to be caught so far, but you don't want to ruin it!"

"Fine, fine." Henry rolled his eyes and with another grunt, got the coffin lid open. They were hit with the smell of the body, and Tristan threw up. "Oh, for god's sake, you wimp!" Henry said angrily, hitting the back of Tristan's head. "What's the matter with you?"

"I wasn't expecting her to smell," Tristan replied.

"Well, she's a dead body!" Henry sighed. "Did you expect her to smell like a rose garden or what?"

"Well, if she's rotting, we can't put Emily in there, can we?" Tristan asked. "It will be a dead giveaway!"

"No, it won't," Henry said, his eyes locked on the new body. "Just give me the box, would you?"

Nodding and trying not to be sick again, Tristan handed Henry the box. Henry held it over Teresa's body, muttered a few words to direct the essence to the right spot, and then opened the box, waiting nervously to see if its contents did as he asked. Emily's essence, which was white and resembling smoke, slithered out of the box and around the area over Teresa's head before going through her nostrils. There was a bright light, then her eyes opened, she coughed, and sat up. "Oh, my...oh, my god!" She said. Then she saw the boys. "Tristan?" She asked. "Henry? Where in the world am I?"

"The cemetery," Henry replied. "We brought you back. But there's no time to explain. We need to get out of here, now!"

"But you will tell me later, right?" Emily asked.

"Yes," Tristan replied. He climbed out of the grave first, and then Henry gave Emily a boost before magically filling in the grave so it didn't seem like anything had been disturbed. Then, it began to rain and a flash of lightning illuminated the windows of the caretaker's house and _someone_ staring at them from the window!

"Come on!" Henry cried as both he and Tristan grabbed Emily's hands and they took off running together. "We have to go. _Now!"_


	27. Seeing The Bright Side

Neither Tristan, nor Emily, nor Henry breathed all that much until they reached Emily and Tristan's house, and even a few days after that. Her father had moved in with a friend after her death, and had told Tristan that he was just gonna sign the deed to the house over to him, which was handy, cause it meant they wouldn't have Emily's father stumbling upon what they'd done.

"So," Emily told Tristan, finally hoping he would talk to her about what had happened. "You want to tell me what I was doing in the cemetery?"

"Well, you just died!" Tristan said. "Wouldn't the cemetery be a logical place for you to be?"

"Of course!" Emily replied. "But I wasn't expecting to wake up again! What did Henry do?"

"At my urging, Henry gave you another chance at life," Tristan replied. "Hopefully nothing will get screwed up this time."

"Well, all right, then," Emily replied, running her fingers through her hair. "But I can't tell my father, can I?"

"I don't think that would be a good idea," Tristan said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "If something goes wrong, we don't want him to suffer any more." He paused and pushed his hair back. "I hope nothing goes wrong this time. Digging up one body was bad enough. I barely made it through. Henry was so disappointed in me."

"I agree that it should just be us from now on," Emily nodded, even though she was sad she'd never see her father again. "But we have to look on the bright side, don't we?"

"Yeah," Tristan replied. "I'm sure there's one somewhere."

"Well, the new body I have, it's no one related to you, right?" Emily asked.

"No," Tristan replied. "It's someone else entirely."

"Well, there you go," Emily replied. "There's a plus right there!" And to Tristan's surprise, she came over and kissed him, long and hard. When she pulled away, they were both smiling. "I'm going to be doing that a lot more often, cause it's okay now," Emily assured Tristan.

"Yeah," Tristan replied and kissed her again as he pulled her onto his lap. "It certainly is."

While they were kissing, Henry and Margaret let themselves in with the extra key under the mat and then paused, open-mouthed, when they saw what was going on.

"We're interrupting something," Margaret whispered. "Maybe we should go."

"Yeah, I think we should," Henry agreed. "And follow their lead by doing the same thing when we get home." They then backed out of the house and drove away, leaving Emily and Tristan to be affectionate in peace.

* * *

"Well, hey!" Selina said to Astrid when she opened the door.

"Hi!" Astrid replied. "Sorry about how I look. I'm still recovering from my stint in jail and Alistair is too."

"Well, are you two not well enough for visitors?" Selina asked. "Cause Elijah and I can always come back later. It's no problem."

"Oh, don't be silly," Astrid replied. "Some company would be just the thing to fix us up. In fact, Helene and Adrian are visiting now too."

"Mom?" Adrian said, standing up as Selina and Elijah entered the kitchen. "What are you doing here? And what's that you're holding?"

"It's a cherry Jell-o mold," Selina replied. "I brought whipped cream for it too." She paused. "So how have you been, son?"

Elijah heard the 'Son' and tried not to shudder. Even though Klaus wasn't in the room, little reminders of his and Selina's relationship, including their kids, still put him a little on edge, even though he knew he was being silly.

"Fine, I guess," Adrian replied. "We're moving back home. And I'm relieved about that, if I'm gonna be totally honest. Living with Stefan and Lissy was no picnic."

"Should I ask why?" Selina wondered aloud.

"No," Adrian shook his head. "Please don't. Talking about it will bring me back to the dark days of my childhood where I walked in on you and Dad much more than I should have."

"Well, you didn't knock!" Selina replied. "So how was that our fault?"

"Moving on!" Elijah ordered.

"Sorry," Selina replied, her eyes cast down.

A few minutes later, Helene came in, holding onto her father who followed behind her. Although Alistair had recovered some from his time in jail, it would take him longer than it had Astrid because he'd given up so much to her to make sure she'd come out okay.

"Oh, my god," Selina replied, coming to take Alistair's arm on his other side. He was thin and pale and his eyes were sunken. "Alistair, here, sit!"

"Thank you," Alistair replied as his daughter and Selina helped him into a chair. "Maybe I should move in here for a bit to help out until you're strong enough to manage on your own," Helene said. "Would you like it if I did that?"

"Oh, you don't need to," Alistair replied, closing his eyes. "You don't need to give up your time like that."

"I don't care," Helene replied. "And I'm starting to think I shouldn't give you the option to say 'No'."

This made Alistair chuckle weakly as he grinned at Elijah. "Sometimes it's hard to get women off our backs, isn't it?" He asked Elijah.

"I'm not even gonna respond to that," Helene replied, going to get her shivering father a blanket. "You clearly said that because you're so delirious and sick."

"Go ahead and move in here," Adrian told Helene. "I can handle Liam by myself."

"You didn't have to come down here to see us if you weren't feeling well," Elijah told his friend. "I hope you don't think me presumptuous, but you really don't look well."

"Well, just because I don't look my best, that's no reason to keep me isolated," Alistair replied, his voice stronger as Helene settled the blanket around his shoulders. "If I want to come down and see people, that's what I'll do!"

"All right, all right," Elijah said. "I was looking out for your well-being is all."

"I've been cursed with immortality just as you have, Elijah," Alistair reminded him. "So the chances of me dying, even in my current state, are nil." There was a silence, and then Selina said, "Want some Jell-o, Alistair?"

"Oh, yes," Alistair replied with a sigh. "I haven't eaten much today."

Selina gave Alistair a small bowl of cherry Jell-o and put a tiny dollop of whipped cream on top. "Not exactly healthy, I know," she said. "But it's better than nothing." She set the bowl down in front of him and he picked up a spoon and put a little of the Jell-o in his mouth.

"So, how's the bakery?" Astrid asked. "Both of them, I mean?"

"Good," Selina asked. "Really successful. I love having them. Gives me a purpose, you know?" She paused. "Although my lovely father in law showed up the other day. That put a damper on things."

"You saw my father?" Elijah asked. "What happened?"

"He came in with Regina, you know, Kol's daughter, cause she wanted a cupcake, and spouted the usual stuff," Selina replied. "You know, calling me a whore and saying that I wasn't worth being a part of his family. He'd probably be happy to know there's a reason I've always kept my maiden name."

"You didn't try and pick a fight with him, did you?" Elijah asked.

"No," Selina replied. "I didn't."

"Good," Elijah replied. "Because as satisfying as it is to you, making my father angry is not smart. You make him too angry and he'll not hesitate to make you regret your actions."

Just then, Selina's cell phone rang. "Hello?" She said. She listened to the person at the other end of the line and her face fell. "Thank you," she said, her voice shaking. "You and the others can stay home from work until we figure out what we're going to do. I'll even keep paying you. All right. Bye." She ended the call, and before she could tell everyone what happened, there was another beep, and another call that made her look distressed. When she ended the second call, her lip was shaking and everyone could tell she was trying not to cry.

"Mom, what is it?" Adrian asked, coming around to hug her as Elijah stood up. "Yes, darling," he said urgently. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing," Selina replied. "It's nothing anyone needs to worry about. It's just...someone burned both my bakeries down." She eyed Elijah. "And I think...I think it may have been your father."

* * *

Peter woke up to the smell of frying bacon and followed it downstairs to the kitchen. "What's all this?" He asked when he saw Annaliese standing over a plate full of bacon and eggs.

"I made you breakfast," she said. "I thought that since this is your first day of work, you should go with something good in your tummy."

"My 'tummy'?" Peter repeated with a chuckle.

"Yes, your tummy!" Annaliese repeated. "Shut up, that's how I talk!" But she wasn't offended and was very touched when he enjoyed what she made.

"You know, it always surprises me that you know how to cook," he said. "I mean, you're a vampire. It's not logical!"

"Well, my mom cooks all the time!" Annaliese replied. "She says food is a very healing thing, which is why I grew up with a lot of it. And you're welcome, by the way."

Grinning, Peter put his fork down, came around to her chair, and kissed her deeply. "Thank you," he said. "Thank you very much." He then finished his breakfast, zapped his dishes to the sink, and put on his coat. "Do you need me to drive you?" Annaliese asked.

"No, thank you," Peter replied. "My father is coming to pick me up. Probably to make sure that I'll actually go."

"You mean, you'd actually skip work on your first day if he wasn't driving you?" Annaliese asked.

"Of course not!" Peter replied. "I'll need to be there for a little while before I can get away with that kind of stuff!"

"Well, as long as you have your priorities in order," Annaliese replied.

"What are you going to do with yourself while I'm at work?" Peter asked. "You won't get bored, will you?"

"No, I won't," Annaliese replied. "I'm sure I'll be able to think of something. Maybe I'll call my sister and see if she wants to come over. Henry's been busy a lot lately with some big important project that she apparently can know nothing about. so she's been sorta bored." She paused. "And why is it that you seem like you want to make an extra good impression? You've never worked this hard to impress someone before. At least that I know of."

"Well, my father said that he had arranged to bring your father along to the office," Peter explained. "And I want to keep making a good impression, at least to your father's face."

But it turned out, when Peter's father arrived, that all that extra effort was for nothing. "Where's my dad?" Annaliese asked Jasper when he showed up alone, to take Peter to work.

"Your father told me he couldn't come," Jasper replied. "Apparently, your mother is going through some crisis and your father doesn't want to leave her alone. He said she was very distressed when we talked this morning."

"Well, I think I'll call and check myself," Annaliese replied. "It'll give me something to do. You both have fun."

"Oh, I will!" Peter promised. "See you tonight!"

"Goodbye!" Annaliese called after them. Once they were gone and she'd closed the door tight, she went to call her parents, and see what was wrong with her mother.


	28. The Benefits Of Love

"So what happened?" Annaliese asked. Elijah had been too distracted to talk to her over the phone, so she'd just decided to come visit in person instead.

"Someone burned your mother's bakeries down," her father told her.

"Really?" Annaliese asked, looking down at her sobbing mother, then taking a seat next to her on the bed. "I'm very sorry, Mom."

"You...you don't have to be," Selina replied. "It's not like you did it, right?"

"Of course not," Annaliese said. "Does anyone have any idea who might have done it?"

"She just found out," Elijah replied. "And once she's in a more stable frame of mind, we're gonna go talk to the police."

"We don't need to talk to the police!" Selina said. "I already told you that it was your father who did it!"

"You don't know that," Elijah said firmly. "And if you accuse him unjustly, it could lead to trouble that I don't really want to deal with. So we'll leave a report with the police, and then, as politely as I can, I'll go talk to my father. All right? But we'll do it later. You don't seem to be in the frame of mind to handle this right now."

Selina's face twisted. "Okay."

* * *

Instead of taking her to the police station, Elijah took her home and brought her to bed. slowly undressing her, then standing at the foot of the bed so she could watch him undress. But instead of reacting with lip-licking enthusiasm like usual, she just stared blankly, and when he got into bed beside her, her participation in their sexual activities was only half-hearted.

"Sorry," she said when Elijah was finally forced to give up. "I appreciate your efforts to cheer me up, sweetie, I really do, but...I just can't focus right now. It's all too raw. Maybe we could try later."

"All right," Elijah said with a sigh, getting out of bed, dressing, tucking Selina in and kissing her. "Try and relax," he said. "Think happy thoughts. We'll deal with this, I promise."

"I know," Selina replied. "I know."

* * *

After Annaliese returned to her and Peter's, she actually _did_ decide to call her sister.

"We'd love to come!" Margaret replied. "We've kind of been in need of new friends since our dear brother and Emily can make out and stuff now."

"Why?" Annaliese asked. "How?"

"Well, I sort of, um...took Tristan out to the cemetery and we got Emily a third body to reside in," Henry said, not meeting Margaret's eyes as her jaw dropped. She took the phone out of Henry's grasp and stalked away with it. "We'll be there to visit whenever you want, but first I have to have a talk with Henry, if you don't mind," Margaret told her sister. "Goodbye!"

"Bye," Annaliese said and hung up, imagining the look on poor Henry's face as Margaret went after him.

"How could you do something like take Tristan out to a cemetery and dig up a body to give to Emily and not tell me about it?" Margaret asked Henry. "Tell me why! I wanna know!"

"I just...I didn't think you'd care!" Henry replied, backing away from her nervously. She'd grabbed a knife and was approaching him with it, holding the pointy side up. "Relax and put the knife down, would you?"

"What if you'd gotten hurt?" Margaret asked. "Or if someone had caught you? I would have had no idea where you were! It would have made me worried sick! Why didn't you think of that?"

"I'm sorry!" Henry cried. "I'm sorry!" He then quickly zapped the knife out of her grip so that it landed safely in the knife block, and held her arms. "You have every right to be angry with me, Maggie," he told her. "But if we're gonna talk about this, it will be as calm, rational people...not using any sharp, pointy weapons. Okay?"

"Fine," Margaret replied, her face twisting. "Just let me go."

"All right," Henry replied and released her. "Where would you like to talk?" He paused. "How about our bedroom? Let's go there!"

"Are you trying to stop me from being mad at you using sex?" Margaret asked.

"It depends," Henry replied. "Would it work? I've already told you that I was sorry. I don't know what else to do."

"Do you swear that you'll never do anything like that again without at least telling me first so that if you die or get hurt, I'll know where you are?" Margaret asked. "Cause that's really what I'm mad about. Not that you got Emily another body, cause lord knows Tristan and Emily deserve to be happy finally, but that you went and did something potentially dangerous and I had no idea about it."

"I know," Henry nodded and took her in his arms, hugging her tight. "And I'm sorry. I promise that the next time I do something that is potentially dangerous and could get me killed, I'll bring you with me."

"Damn right you will!" Margaret replied. "Now, did you mention something about us having sex?"

"Sure!" Henry replied. "If you want to."

"Well, have you ever known me to tell you 'No'?" Margaret responded.

"Good point," Henry replied and picked her up. "Come on! We'll have a little fun, and then I'll be in good enough spirits to go and see your sister. How about that?"

"Wonderful," Margaret replied as Henry zapped them into the bedroom and began taking off her clothes. When she was just in her panties, she grabbed him, unzipped his pants, and gave him a big kiss. "Works for me!"

* * *

The next day, after Selina and Elijah returned from what she believed to be a fruitless encounter with the police, she gave Elijah a look. "You gonna go make your father confess what he did now?" She asked.

"Yes, yes, yes," Elijah sighed. "And if it turns out that he's the perpetrator, I'll deal with it."

"And don't tell him that I've cried, either," Selina said. "Please don't. I don't want him to know how much he hurt me!"

"I wouldn't do that to you," Elijah told her. "And I know this is difficult to ask, but...why don't you try not to think of what happened, at least for a little bit. We go back to bed. I'll help you relax."

"Okay," Selina replied. "I don't think it will work, but since it's been a few days, I'll give it a shot."

"All right," Elijah replied. But she was still restless. Not only in regards to sex, but in other ways too. The day Elijah decided to confront Mikael, he left Selina with a bag of stuff from the grocery store. She'd decided to bake some chocolate chip cookies, after reasoning that just because her bakeries were burned down, that didn't mean she couldn't bake anything ever again. Seeing this as an improvement in her mood, Elijah gave her a kiss, wished her luck, and went off to face his father.

* * *

"Well, look who's here?" Mikael said, a smirk on his lips when he opened his front door and found Elijah standing on the other side looking angry. "I wondered when you were going to come and see me." He grinned wider. "And how's your lovely wife? It's a shame to hear about what happened to those bakeries she was so fond of."

"And you would know all about that, wouldn't you?" Elijah asked. "Seeing as how_ you _were the one who burned them down!"

"Oh, don't be ridiculous!" Mikael replied with an incredulous laugh. "Don't you think I have better things to do with my time than commit petty acts of arson?"

"Well, I would hope so!" Elijah replied. "But Selina told me that you came to one of her bakeries around the time the fires happened."

"So did a bunch of other people and I don't see you accusing _them_ of arson," Mikael replied. "It just so happens I was visiting your wife's establishment because I was watching Regina and she wanted something sweet. That was my only purpose in coming anywhere near that place.

"Tell me, though," Elijah replied. "Who else but you would have reason to want to hurt her in such a manner? Why did you do it, Father? Was it in the hopes that losing one of the most important things in her life would break her and she'd be so upset that she would start killing again, which would give you an excuse to murder her?"

Mikael smiled. "Perhaps," he said. "Good plan, don't you think?"

It was then, as what his father was saying sunk in, and Elijah stared at the smarmy smirk on his father's face, that rage he'd not felt for years overtook him and he punched his father, breaking his nose. Once the deed was done, they both stared at one other in shock as Mikael reached up to touch some of the blood that was now flowing freely from his nose.

Elijah began to back away as his father growled and advanced on him. "You remember what I did the last time you acted foolishly toward me regarding your wife," Mikael said.

"You mean when you thrust a dagger in my heart and locked me away for six years?" Elijah asked.

"Yes," Mikael nodded. "I did it because you made the wrong choice, and apparently haven't learned a thing since then."

"Oh, I've learned a lot, Father," Elijah replied, trying to stop himself from showing any fear. "I've learned that I love my wife and my children a lot more than you ever cared for Mother, or me, or any of my brothers and sisters, and I think it's really helped me. And that's why, whenever it comes down to my having to decide between you or my wife, I'll always pick her, because she loves me, and you never did."

"Love isn't everything," Mikael replied. "Love is weakness. Love can be taken away. It's not worth it."

"Oh, but it is," Elijah replied. "I know you've loved, Father. I know things went wrong and you and Mother ended badly, but...just because that happened to you doesn't mean it will happen to me. I love my wife, she loves me, and I'm going to enjoy that, rather than waste my time being suspicious and angry so I end up becoming suspicious and alone like you."

"Fine," Mikael replied, his tone sharp. "You've been a lost cause and a disappointment to me for years. Go and destroy your life. I have no use for you anymore."

"Oh, really?" Elijah asked, his hand on the doorknob. "Do you really mean it this time?" Then, before Mikael could reply, Elijah slammed the door behind him and went back to his wife.

* * *

When Elijah returned home, the first thing that hit him when he closed the front door behind him was the smell of chocolate chip cookies. Good, he thought to himself. Selina has realized that not having a bakery doesn't mean she can't ever bake again. Maybe she's cheering up.

But when he reached the kitchen, his jaw dropped. Every inch of the counter tops and floor was covered in pans full of cookies, and of course, Selina was pulling yet another dozen out of the oven. "Darling?" Elijah asked carefully. "What in the hell is going on here?"

"I thought I should keep busy," Selina replied. "Now that I have no bakeries, I need to find something to do with myself. Did you talk to your father?"

"Yes, and I even punched him in the face," Elijah replied. "You would have been impressed!"

"You punched him in the face to defend me?" Selina asked. "How sweet!" She moved some of the full pans of cookies aside so she had a pathway out of the kitchen, and told Elijah, "Have as many as you want. I'm off to the store to get more ingredients, okay?"

"Now just a minute!" Elijah replied, grabbing her wrist and groaning when he realized that he'd stepped on one of the many pans of cookies. "I think you should stay here. You haven't been sleeping, you're baking crazy amounts, you just...I think you need some rest."

"No!" Selina shook her head, looking like she was about to cry. "I was just about to go search for another bakery building! I'll stop baking cookies, I swear!"

Elijah looked at her desperate face and made a decision that he knew one day he would regret, but for now, it had to be done. "I want you to forget all of this," he said, locking eyes with his wife. "I want you to forget that your bakeries are gone, that you need to get a bunch of stuff done to start up new bakeries, and that you haven't been sleeping."

"All right," Selina nodded, a relaxed smile lighting up her face.

"Good," Elijah replied and moved some of her dark hair out of her eyes. "Now, why don't you come to bed with me? I think we both need a break."

"All right!" Selina grinned and stripped down right there in the kitchen, then grabbed him and gave him a kiss. "Race you to the bedroom!"

"All right," Elijah replied. His underwear-clad wife took off, but as much as he wanted to follow after her, he knew he shouldn't leave the kitchen in its current state. It took awhile,but he managed to find locations and containers for all the cookies, and then, with a sigh, he headed to their bedroom, apologized to Selina for taking so long, stripped off his clothes, and climbed into bed with her, taking her in his arms, tickling her until she burst out laughing, then just held her close to his heart, not being able to think of anything else except how much he wanted to protect her, from his father, and everything else.


	29. A Big Game

"I am in_ so _much trouble with Amy," Klaus told Elijah. He stumbled through the door his brother had opened for him and face planted on the carpet. "What's the matter with you?" Elijah asked, helping his brother up. "Have you been drinking?"

"Well, of course I have!" Klaus snapped. "And if you were in my situation, you would too!"

"And just what _is_ your situation?" Elijah asked, eyebrow raised.

"Amy had a friend named Rebecca come and visit," Klaus explained as he tried to focus. "She's a witch, you know, and was supposed to go home this week after a visit, but then Amy took me to dinner with her, and she brought her son, Robbie, and that's when I realized, and later, she confirmed, that Robbie...Robbie is my son!"

"You have another child that you've fathered?" Elijah asked in surprise. "My goodness! If you add Robbie to the list of children that can call you their father, that would just make one more until you and I are tied."

"This isn't a contest!" Klaus shouted. "I'm not telling you this because I'm happy! I'm telling you cause Amy is mad and I need your help!"

"And just what is it that you want me to do?" Elijah asked with an amused chuckle.

"I don't know!" Klaus replied. "Tell her to like me again. I'm sure she'll listen to you."

"I've cleaned up a lot of your messes in the past, Niklaus," Elijah told him. "But I think...I think you should handle this one on your own."

"But why?" Klaus whined. "Elijah, you know I'm horrible at these things!"

"Well, maybe you should practice, then!" Elijah replied. "Or just not do things that make women so angry!"

"So...you're not gonna help me?" Klaus asked. "Just to make things perfectly clear?"

"No, I'm not," Elijah replied. "I want to teach you that you can't come running to me every time you have a problem and expect me to fix it. For heaven's sake, you're a thousand years old!"

"Well, I know that, but-" Klaus began, but Elijah cut him off. "I'm sorry," he said. "But I can't do this. Selina is going through a rough time, and I have to focus on her. I can't just forget about that and focus on you."

"Is it because of the bakery thing?" Klaus asked. "Can't you just tell her something like, 'There'll be brighter days ahead', and then compel her to be happy? Do you realize how simple that would be? Then you'd be helping both of us!"

"I've already compelled her," Elijah replied. "But that doesn't mean I'm gonna abandon her."

"What's going on in here?" Selina asked, coming upon them.

"Oh, nothing you need to worry about," Elijah told her. "Niklaus was just leaving."

"Yes," Klaus replied at Elijah's look. "I was. Goodbye."

"Tell me what the problem is," Selina said when Klaus was gone.

"No, I really don't think you should hear about that right now," Elijah told her. "What with everything that's happened to you, you don't need more stress in your life."

"And what's happened to me?" Selina asked, leading Elijah to remember that he'd compelled her to forget everything about the bakery fires.

"Father burned both your bakeries down," he said. "I compelled you to forget at first because you were so worked up, but now you need to know again."

Selina blinked and Elijah waited for the blow.

"So let me get this straight," she said at last. "Your father burned down my bakeries, and I was upset, so you compelled me to forget it happened?"

"Yes," Elijah nodded. "I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't have done it. But you weren't sleeping and I knew that if I didn't do something, it was really going to be terrible for you. Are you mad?" He took off his jacket and unbuttoned his shirt. "Here, hit me," he offered. "I don't even care. I deserve it."

"No, no," Selina shook her head. "I'm not gonna hit you. You meant well, right?"

"Of course I did!" Elijah nodded.

"Well, then why should I be mad at you, if you meant well and were just looking out for my best interests?"

"I don't know," Elijah replied. "Now tell me: how upset are you about the bakery thing?"

Selina sighed. "I don't know. I mean, I've been doing it for years. It was a big part of my life. But now that the shock is over, and I've had time to think, maybe...maybe your father did me a favor. Running the bakery took a lot of my time, and I barely had time for breathers. Now with both the bakeries gone, I can find something to do with myself that won't wear on me so much. And it's not like I can't bake anymore, right?"

"True," Elijah nodded. "That's a very healthy way to look at this. It's going to be a great disappointment to my father. He wanted you to be so angry by the thought of the bakeries burning down that you started killing again, which would give him an excuse to catch you and end your life."

"I guess I have you to thank, then," Selina told him. "I remember now how freaked out I was when I first got the news the bakeries were gone, and if you...if you hadn't made me forget, at least for a little while, I probably would have, in the heat of the moment, done exactly what your father wanted. So thanks for your help."

"You're welcome," Elijah replied, hugging her. "I just did what I did because I couldn't stand to see you hurt that much. You rarely cry, so when you do, I don't quite know how to handle it other than to make you forget your pain so you _stop _crying."

Selina smiled, sighed, and kissed him. "You're such a good husband," she told him. "Now about what Klaus was here for...?"

"Just some problem he and Amy are having," Elijah replied flippantly. "Nothing we need to worry about. I told him that for once in his life, he needs to learn to fix his own problems. He'd been drinking, so I don't know how much he understood me, but...as I said before, it's not our issue. It's theirs. It's nothing we need to worry about."

"Right," Selina kissed him as he ran his fingers through her hair. "All we need to worry about is each other."

"Where's Ethan?" Elijah asked her.

"He's at Toby's, so we have the house to ourselves," Selina replied.

"Good," Elijah nodded. "Want to go to bed?"

"Sure!" Selina replied. "Why the hell not?"

* * *

"Sorry to hear about your bakeries," Emily told Selina. "Are you planning on getting another building with the insurance money?"

"I don't know, honestly," Selina replied. "You know, when it first happened, I was in shock and didn't know what else to do, you know? But now, now I'm not so sure. I mean, I've been running bakeries for years, and it's a lot of work, and I just...part of me just wants to take this opportunity to be at home, and live at a slower pace."

"Are you sure you'll be able to handle that?" Tristan asked. "It's like people who retire, and then they end up being really bored cause they don't know what to do with themselves."

"Oh, don't worry," Selina assured him. "I'll figure out what to do with myself."

Emily and Tristan then sat in silence before Emily finally said, "I bet you're surprised to see me."

"Well, I'm glad you're not dead!" Selina replied. "Did Henry and Tristan get you another body or something?"

"Yeah," Tristan nodded. "We went to the cemetery, but don't tell Dad!"

"Oh, please," Selina scoffed. "Your father's got no room to complain since he's technically a thousand year old walking corpse himself."

"You know, I never thought of it that way!" Tristan replied. "But you're right! Does that mean _I'm_ a corpse, too?"

"Well, have you ever died?" Selina asked.

"No," Tristan shook his head.

"Well, don't, if you can avoid it," Selina replied. "Dying any other way than in your sleep is not pleasant."

"Well, how did you die?" Emily asked. "If it's not too personal."

"I was poisoned," Selina replied. "That's what really happened. But as far as the records of the town where I live are concerned, I died of scarlet fever. My doctor told everyone I was dead to hide a pregnancy that surely would have infuriated my mother, had she found out about it."

"Why?" Tristan asked. "Was it an accident?"

"Well, yes and no," Selina replied. "I was engaged to the baby's father just before he went off to fight in the Civil War, and I asked him if we could have sex before he shipped off, in the hopes that I would get pregnant and have a piece of my fiance if he died on the battlefield, which, given the rate men were dying at, was a real possibility."

"So why would the pregnancy have made your mom mad then?" Emily asked.

"Well, she didn't really like the guy I was engaged to," Selina replied. "She thought he was a bit of a rascal and wanted me to marry someone else. So when she heard that Damon was going to fight, she let us get engaged, figuring Damon would die on the battlefield and we would never actually wed, and then she could marry me off to someone more appropriate."

"Someone like Dad?" Tristan asked.

"Exactly," Selina nodded. "Someone like your dad. But my being pregnant with my first fiance's baby would have killed any chance I had of marrying really well (even though my baby's father came from a good family himself), so that's why Mama couldn't know about it."

"Damn, I'm glad I didn't live when you were human," Emily replied. "It sounds horrible."

"You got it," Selina nodded. "It was." She paused. "But things are much better now. I have a family with a man that I love, I know what it's like to own my own business, I can do whatever the hell I want and no one can tell me otherwise." She paused. "Now, on to happier topics, what are you two planning to do with this new chance you've gotten?"

"Everything we couldn't do when I was in Margaret's body," Emily replied. "This third body is gonna bring us a lot closer, I think."

"Just remember that _because_ Tristan is not a walking corpse, you need to use protection," Selina reminded them both while Tristan flushed. "You just came back from the dead, Emily. I know you're not ready for the challenges of having a vampire baby."

"No," Emily shook her head. "Can't say I am yet."

"You two need to see the world first," Selina told them. "You know, travel and all that. Do a bunch of stuff together first, and THEN have a kid. Cause it's much harder to do couple things when you have a baby, trust me."

"Or three babies?" Tristan asked dryly.

"Definitely," Selina told him. "Not that you haven't been a joy of my life, Tristan."

"I wasn't fishing for compliments," Tristan replied. "Just making a joke. So, you gonna try and get a new bakery or what?"

"I don't know," Selina replied. "I'll think about it, but I'm pretty sure I just want to stay at home for now."

"Cool," Tristan nodded. "Good luck with that."

"Thanks a lot," Selina replied. "I appreciate it."

* * *

"Dad," Henry asked James, "Is it breaking some magical law if some person, let's call them 'Person X', got a new body from a cemetery to put the soul of someone who died unnecessarily young in?"

"Well, did you kill the person to get the body?" James asked Henry. He paused as Henry's eyes widened and he began blubbering. "I mean...did 'Person X' kill the person to obtain the body?"

"No," Henry shook his head. "'Person X' went with a friend and got an already dead body from the cemetery to put this other person in. So...is 'Person X' in trouble?"

"Well, will 'Person X' be doing this a lot?" James asked him. "Or is this the last time? Cause you really shouldn't make a habit of finding a new body for Emily every time something goes wrong."

"This should be the last time," Henry promised. "Emily seems to be doing all right. And can I assume you didn't fall for my 'Person X' ploy?"

"No," James replied dryly. "You technically didn't break any magical laws when you got the body out of the cemetery to put Emily in, but just...don't do it any more, all right?"

"Okay," Henry replied. "I won't. I promise."

"Good," James breathed a sigh of relief.

"Actually," said a sudden, booming voice that caused James to jump and swear. "If it's Emily that keeps needing bodies, the magical authorities can't do anything to stop Tristan or Henry from procuring them." It was then that Clarence appeared in his pink suit and James groaned. "Why are you here? I thought we'd gotten rid of you for good."

"I've been laying low for awhile," Clarence replied. "But I've been working on getting Augustus Putnam's wife a new girlfriend, and that's been _fun."_

James rolled his eyes at the large black man. "So keep working on getting Mrs. Putnam a new girlfriend and leave us alone!"

"Well, you sounded like your son needed assurance about the legality of helping Tristan get Emily a new body, so I came to tell him at least in the magical world, it's okay. Now, if the human authorities catch you and accuse you of grave robbing or whatever, there's nothing I can do to help with that, but by helping Tristan get Emily a new body, you're bringing together two people who are supposed to be a couple and that's cool."

"Great!" Henry replied, relief clear on his face.

"Now, how are you and Margaret?" Clarence questioned.

"Oh, we're good," Henry replied. Clarence still made him a bit nervous. "Why do you have to make things so difficult for Tristan and Emily, anyhow?"

"Well, now that Emily has her body, those two are on easy street and I am currently picking on your mother's friend Amy. Oh, she and her husband have a real doozy to deal with now and coming up." He chuckled.

"You enjoy screwing with people's love lives, don't you?" Henry asked.

"It's not something I enjoy!" Clarence replied, trying to be serious. "It's something that needs to be done! No relationship is worth anything unless it has problems!"

"And from the sound of things, your great-grandfather's relationship is about to be worth a lot," James said, while Clarence disappeared and Henry collapsed in relief beside his father.


	30. Waterloo

"I can't believe Klaus cheated on me after I inadvertantly cheated on him with Damon!" Selina raged. "At least my getting pregnant with Sam was unintentional. But this other kid that Klaus had with with this friend of Amy's...I'm _sure_ that was on purpose. I told Amy I wasn't mad because I didn't want her to get more riled up than she already was, or get involved with Klaus' business when he's not my problem any more, but I'm pissed!"

"I figured you would be," Elijah replied. "And don't forget that, although it was not one of my proudest moments, you and I weren't exactly subtle when you were with Niklaus, either."

"Oh, come on! That wrong was made up for when you got daggered by your father for six years and I held out for five, then slept with your brother, got pregnant, and you showed up just in time for our wedding!"

"Wow, you have a colorful love life, don't you?" Elijah asked. "Especially with Niklaus and me."

"Well, yeah, but I'm not proud of it," Selina replied.

Elijah sighed and Selina gave him a look. "Are you gonna tell me that I need to go back to bed again? Cause I refuse to do so. That'll make me like some of the women my mother used to know, who would want to, you know, do something with their lives, and their husbands would just say they were suffering from delusions and need bedrest and medicine. But I can think of something to do with myself!"

"I never said you couldn't," Elijah told her. "Go ahead."

"Well, good," Selina replied. "Maybe I will. Maybe I'll go and visit someone. Not Klaus and Amy of course, cause that's not a can of worms I want to open any further, but I'm sure I'll find somebody."

She left and got in her car, driving around town for awhile before finally realizing who she wanted to see, even though she knew Elijah would make a frowny face at her for it afterward.

* * *

"Mom!" Lucy cried when she opened the door and saw her mother on the other side, pulling her through the door. "It's been such a long time since we've seen you!"

"Yeah." Damon replied dryly from the living room sofa. "I wonder why _that _is?"

"The reason is beside the point," Lucy told him, leading her mother to the sofa. "Are you okay?" She asked her mother. "I heard about the bakeries burning down."

"It was a shock and I'm struggling, but I'll get better eventually," Selina replied.

"Want a drink now that you're here?" Damon offered.

"No, thanks," Selina replied. "I think drinking around you is not the best decision I could make right now."

"Okay, that's not fair!" Damon replied. "One drunken fling should not brand me for the rest of my life."

"Well, I'm not saying it's entirely your fault," Selina replied. "Although you might have mentioned about the fertility potion you took _before_ we had sex!"

"Hey, I'd had just as much to drink as you had by that point," Damon pointed out. "I don't know why you'd expect _me_ to remember."

"Anyway, moving on!" Lucy cried, beginning to realize how Sam must've felt with her and Damon always flaunting their relationship in his face. "What are you gonna do now that the bakeries are gone? Do you have any ideas?"

"Not at the moment," Selina replied. "I've been a little...off, actually. It's not something I'm proud of, but there it is."

"What do you mean by 'off'?" Damon asked. "You're not losing your mind, are you?"

"Well, no," Selina shook her head. "But remember when we were kids and our moms would watch women and their husbands and your mom would always tell my mom that, she should be careful about my stepfather because he seemed like the sort of guy who would treat any ambition she had like it was some sort of sickness and force her into constant bedrest?"

"Yeah," Damon replied. "I remember that. I don't know why you would. I thought you were too little."

"Well, sometimes, in her more depressed moments later on, Mama mentioned how she wished she would have listened to your mother on that score instead of doing what she did. Anyway, I'm going through a thing, and Elijah, bless his heart, isn't helping much."

"Why?" Lucy asked. "Are you two fighting?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "We're not."

"But they probably will be once he finds out she came over here," Damon replied with a smirk.

"Will you shhhh!" Lucy told him impatiently.

"Well, okay," Damon replied. "I was just making a comment."

"It can wait," Lucy replied, then gasped as Damon gave her a spanking and left the room. Then, she turned back to her mother. "So, what's going on with you and Uncle Elijah?"

"He wants to help me feel better," Selina told her and Klaus' youngest daughter, who was very close to her uncle. "He knows I'm upset about the whole bakery thing and he just wants to make it better, but the way he's going about it just isn't helping! He wants us to stay in bed and stuff. But I need a purpose. _That_ is what's gonna make me feel better!"

"Well, I just might have a solution for you," Lucy replied.

"You do?" Selina asked. "I really wasn't expecting you to come up with something so quick!"

"Don't get all excited," Lucy replied. "You might not even like it. But I'm working at an art museum now that has a really fancy cafe/coffee nook in it, and they need someone to man the counters. You wanna do it? It wouldn't be much different from working at the bakery, and my boss was really upset when he realized he couldn't go buy cookies from you every day, so I'm sure he'd hire you."

Selina thought a moment. Granted, she wouldn't be the boss, and other people would be telling her what to do, but she'd have a job again. She'd not be stuck at home. It was something.

"I think that would be all right," Selina replied.

"We can try it for a week or so and see if it works," Lucy told her. "And if it doesn't, you can always help the little kids in their painting class."

"Oh, I don't know about that," Selina replied. "I think working at the cafe would be better for me."

"All right," Lucy nodded. "I'll talk to my boss tomorrow, and then let you know what he says."

"Thank you so much," Selina told her. "It just...this really helps me."

"No problem," Lucy told her. "It's my pleasure."

Though she wasn't absolutely sure it was a good idea, Selina stayed at Damon and Lucy's for lunch, and then headed home.

"You seem in much better spirits," Elijah observed with a smile when she strode through the door. "What changed?"

"I went and saw Lucy," Selina replied. "And she told me she would get me a job at the museum where she works. I mean, it's sort of humiliating to depend on your children to get you jobs, but...there you go."

Elijah hugged her. "I'm so happy for you that I'm not even gonna ask if Damon was there too and if he put any moves on you," he said.

"He was," Selina replied. "But he didn't. Lucy watched him like a hawk. She says she's gonna talk to her boss tomorrow, and then call me with what he says, but she's pretty sure I'll be hired."

"Well, that's just wonderful," Elijah said. "Now, I'm gonna go change my clothes cause Ethan wants to run around outside. Wanna come? I think the fresh air would do you good."

"Sure," Selina replied. "Why not?"

* * *

"I have to say that I'm very proud of you for how you've been handling work," Jasper told Peter over dinner at his and Annaliese's one night. "Truth be told, I didn't have a lot of hopes for you, but you proved me wrong."

"And I wanted to prove Annaliese's father wrong too," Peter replied. "I got such satisfaction from being revealed as your son and watching him hit the floor that I thought to myself, 'What could bring a repeat of that sort of action?' And the answer obviously was to do so well with work that I just amaze everyone."

"I hope I'm not making you miss him too much," Jasper said to Annaliese.

"Well, of course I miss him," Annaliese replied. "But I understand he has to work a certain amount of time, and I'm okay with that."

"And I have vacation time," Peter replied. "Just think, Anna. Three weeks of me not having to work, and your father not being able to yell at me for being lazy. Won't that be great?"

"Yeah," Annaliese nodded. "Wonderful!"

But it was a long time for Annaliese to wait until Peter was allowed time off. The last day before he was to start his and Annaliese's vacation (which was not actually them going anywhere, but spending a week at home) Peter and his father arrived home, and Jasper gave Annaliese a wry look. "My son is free now," he said. "At least for a little bit. Don't you two get in too much trouble."

"Oh, we won't," Peter said with a smile as he pulled Annaliese close. "You can trust us."

"Just keep the apartment in one piece, all right?" Jasper requested.

"Fine," Peter told him. "Goodbye, Dad."

"Goodbye," Jasper replied. He left the apartment and shut the door behind him, hoping with all his might that when he came back to take Peter back to work in a week, everything would still be standing.

"So, what do you wanna do now?" Annaliese asked. "Your father seems to believe we're gonna tear the place apart."

"Oh, that's nothing!" Peter chuckled. "And even if we _did _make a mess of things, it's not like I couldn't fix it so he'd never know."

"You make a very good point," Annaliese told him.

"I want a drink," Peter decided, then looked at her. "You want one?"

"No, thanks," Annaliese shook her head. "I'm fine."

So Peter got himself some wine and sat down in front of the TV, and motioned for Annaliese to sit next to him. "Seriously?" Annaliese asked, underwhelmed. "We have all this time off, and what you want to do is watch TV?"

"Until I finish my wine," Peter replied. "Then, I have other plans in mind."

"Ah?" Annaliese felt intrigued now. "What sort of plans?"

"Oh, I don't know," Peter replied, putting his wine glass down and removing his shirt. "Use your imagination."

Annaliese grinned and snuggled against his bare chest. "I like the pictures I'm getting in my mind," she said. To Peter's surprise, she snatched his wine glass and downed it. "There," she said. "It's gone. Now we can do something else." She got up and swayed a little.

"Be careful," Peter said, holding on to her so she wouldn't fall. "You really shouldn't drink that fast. No matter how alluring I am."

"Well, maybe it's not just you," Annaliese replied, getting to her feet and pulling off her dress so she was just standing in front of him in her white lace panties. "Maybe I'm doing _you_ a favor!"

"You know," Peter nodded and came to grab her. "I think you are." He picked her up and carried her to bed, helping her wriggle out of her panties and practically ripping off her bra, then throwing off his pants and holding her close. "We can be like this for a week, you know," he whispered in her ear. "We don't even have to leave at all."

The feel of his lips against her ear made Annaliese squirm. "I'll have to leave sometime," she reminded him. "I need blood!"

"That's not a problem," Peter replied, making a small knife appear and cutting his arm with it, then letting it drip into her open mouth. "See?" He told her and kissed her still blood-covered lips. "We're gonna be just fine."

"All right," Annaliese replied, throwing her arms around his neck as he pushed into her. "If you say so."

* * *

Margaret held the door open for Henry as he brought in her suitcases. Emily and Tristan had decided to take Selina's advice and go on a trip, so Margaret and Henry agreed to house sit while they were gone.

"Granted, our place is much better than this," Henry said, looking around. "But I suppose I could live here for a week or two."

"Ah, look at you being all snooty," Margaret grinned. "I never thought I'd hear it."

"I grew up in a castle, of course I'm gonna be critical of whatever living space I live in," Henry said. "But no matter, I can fix it."

He changed some of the more ratty, and broken furniture that had belonged to Emily's father into stuff that was more put together. "There," he said, that's better. I'll turn it all back before we leave and no one will be any the wiser."

Margaret came out of the bedroom looking terrified. "There's a mouse in our room," she said. "Make it die! Make it die!"

"All right," Henry said. "I'll go handle it. Just breathe, okay?"

Margaret nodded. "Okay, deep breathing, deep breathing." She collapsed on the sofa and waited. When she heard Henry come back, she felt a sense of relief, then turned around with a smile on her face as she prepared to hug him, then let out a terrible shriek when she saw that he hadn't killed the mouse at all, but was in fact holding it in his hand.

"What are you doing with that?" Margaret yelled out. "I told you to make it die!"

"Oh, but it said it wanted to be friends," Henry replied and put it up real close to her face as she backed away. "See? 'Hi, Margaret. I'm a cute little mouse and I want to be friends. Why don't you like me'?" He'd been joking before, but when he saw Margaret was about to cry, he sobered and put the mouse outside before taking Margaret in his arms. "I'm sorry, Maggie," he told her. "I was just having a little fun."

"It's-it's okay," Margaret replied, although she still buried her face in his shoulder. "I accept your apology. Just don't do that again, okay? When I say 'Kill the mouse', kill the mouse."

"All right, I will," Henry replied. "Now, sit down. I have a surprise for you."

"It's not another mouse, or something even more disgusting, is it?" Margaret asked, her voice full of apprehension. "Actually, whatever it is, I don't want it, okay?" Then, she smelled chocolate. "All right," Henry replied and brought a small but rich-looking chocolate cake to her. "I was gonna give you this, but if you don't want it, I'll just eat it myself."

"Oh, give me that!" Margaret snapped and took it from him, stabbing at it with a fork and shoveling it into her mouth.

"You hate it, I see," Henry said with a wry look, coming to play with her hair.

"It's good," Margaret said, her voice muffled. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Henry replied. "Now, will you be okay in here while I go and see if there are any other adjustments I need to make for our time here?"

"Yes, I'll be fine," Margaret replied. "Just cause I'm scared of mice, I'm not a child."

"All right," Henry nodded. He strode off, leaving Margaret alone with her cake and the remote, wondering what her brother and Emily were doing at the moment.

* * *

"Of all the bad luck!" Emily cried as she and Tristan finally fought their way through the snow and up to the inn where they were staying. "Since there's that big storm coming, we'll probably have to stay in our room. It's a shame when you think of all the things one can do here!"

"I know it's disappointing," Tristan said as he grabbed their bags and went inside. "But I'm sure it won't be a total loss."

"Really?" Emily asked. "You think?"

"Sorry you two had to get here in the middle of such a bad storm," the owner of the inn apologized. "I'm sure you were looking forward to doing a lot on your trip, and there's really not much to do around here."

"Well, that's not your fault," Tristan told her. "We're Tristan and Emily Mikaelson, by the way."

"Oh, yes!" The woman replied with a smile. "Come with me. I'll show you to your room. And you can leave your bags here. My husband will bring them later. Unless you'd like to unpack now, of course."

"No, we can wait," Emily said. Holding hands, she and Tristan followed their brunette hostess to their room, which was large and cozy with windows flanked by yellow checked curtains and a round blue rug by the bed, which was good-sized and covered with a red quilt. "All right," the woman, who introduced herself as Patty, grinned at them. "Anything I can get you?"

"No, we're good, thanks," Tristan smiled.

"All right," Patty replied. "Dinner is at eight. Let me know if you need anything." She left then, shutting the door behind her.

"You know," Emily said, "this is a very nice room. I wish I could show my father. I think he'd like it."

"I wish you could show your father this too," Tristan replied, sitting next to her and taking her in his arms. "I feel so bad for all we had to put him through."

Emily nodded, then she cleared her throat. "Why are we being so morose?" She asked. "We're on vacation!"

"Exactly what I was thinking!" Tristan replied with a smile. "But I didn't want to say anything."

Just then, they heard a thump outside their door and Patty's husband called, "Here are your suitcases!"

"Thank you!" Tristan called back. He went and brought them in the room and began undressing. "What are you doing?" Emily asked.

"I was thinking of changing since I've been in these clothes so long," Tristan replied. "What about you?"

"Yeah," Emily nodded. "I could use a shower."

"You wanna go first, or..." Tristan pointed.

The question caused Emily to flush bright pink. "I think...I think..." she finally got out. "I think I would like it if we showered together!" She got that out, and with a gasp, ran into the bathroom and slammed the door behind her.

Tristan stood in stunned silence until he blinked and took his pants off before following her into the bathroom. "Are you okay?" He asked over the loud shower. "Emily, you don't have to be embarrassed."

The shower stopped. "Really?" Emily asked.

"Of course not," Tristan replied. "Now, can I come in there?"

"Okay," Emily replied. "But do you promise you won't laugh?"

"Why would I laugh at you, sweetie?" Tristan asked as he opened the shower door and braced himself against the steam before stepping in and taking her dripping body in his arms. He blinked and looked her over. Her body was covered with soap suds and she was washing her hair so it was covered in suds and sticking up in an odd way.

"Oh, hi!" She said when she realized that he was there. "I know I probably look really attractive now."

"Oh, you look fine," Tristan replied and pulled her out from under the spray so he could give her a kiss. Emily was restrained at first, but then she kissed him back, her fingers in his wet hair. He backed her up against the wall and with a gasp, she felt him go inside her as the water covered them both. Afterwards, they clutched each other under the spray and, loofah in hand gave one another a thorough washing. When they got out of the shower, they dried off and watched each other dress.

"You know," Emily said once they were both sitting next to each other, barefoot, on the bed. "I think I just thought of something we could do while we're here to pass the time."

"Really?" Tristan asked with a grin. "And what's that?"

To his surprise, Emily gave him a devilish grin."Each other," she said and pounced on him as he let out a laugh and tried not to fall off the bed.


	31. Whistle While You Work

"...And here is the cash register," Lucy's boss told Selina as he showed her around the cafe where she would be working. "I assume you haven't forgotten how to work one of those?"

"Oh, no, I haven't," Selina replied.

"I was really sorry to hear about your bakeries burning down," Lucy's boss told her. "You made really good stuff."

"Well, thank you," Selina replied. "I never realized how many people were so fond of my baking until they couldn't get it anymore."

"Isn't that always the way?" He told her. Then, he paused as Lucy approached them. "Do you need me to tell you anymore?" He asked. "Or do you have the basic idea? The instructions for the cash register are underneath it if you ever need them."

"Thank you," Selina replied. He headed off and Lucy reached the counter and smiled. "So," she said. "You think you're gonna like it here?"

Selina took a deep breath and looked around the sunny Art Deco style room. "Yeah," she said. "I think I will."

* * *

But later that day, her mood (and her feelings about her new job) darkened. Just as her boss, a kid still in college, asked her to go to the bathroom and clean the toilets, Katherine and Elizabeth strode into the museum cafe, overhearing that command. Selina saw Katherine's smirk, and was glad for an excuse to leave so that she wouldn't punch Katherine in the face right then and there. She left to go to the bathroom while her manager took over counter duty to take Katherine and Elizabeth's orders, something that Katherine would probably tell Gregory about tonight. Well, joy. Even though it was getting her out of the house and giving her a purpose, Selina had to admit to herself as she scrubbed the inside of one of the toilets in the ladies' room, that her job was not off to the most promising start.

* * *

"You'll never guess what I saw!" Katherine yelled at Gregory as she pulled a wide-eyed Elizabeth after her into the house.

"What?" Gregory asked, looking up.

"Mom can we stop?" Elizabeth cried. "You're hurting my hand!"

"Sorry," Katherine apologized, letting Elizabeth go.

"What did you see?" Gregory asked patiently.

"Well, you know how you wanted me to take Elizabeth to that art museum your sister works at?"

"Yes," Gregory nodded. "And did you actually do it?"

"I did," Katherine nodded. "We looked at exhibits for awhile, and then went to get coffee, and who should be manning the counter at the cafe, but your mother!"

"Why is that such a shock?" Gregory replied. "It doesn't surprise me she took another job after the bakery burned down."

"But your mother of all people doing manual labor..." Katherine chuckled. "I feel so sorry for her."

"Yeah," Gregory nodded. "Maybe in sympathy, you should do the dishes tonight."

"But doing dishes is _your _job!" Katherine pouted.

"Not tonight," Gregory replied, shaking his head. "I'm not going to do them."

"But why?" Katherine asked. "Is this because of what I said about your mother? You know I was only teasing, right?"

"No, you weren't," Gregory replied. "And don't you try to manipulate me into believing you were, either. You do the dishes tonight, and think about the importance of treating people with kindness."

"Fine," Katherine replied.

"Don't worry, Mom," Elizabeth told her. "I'll help you."

"No, you won't," Gregory told her. "It's sweet to offer your mother help, but she won't learn from her mistakes if she doesn't have to make up for them."

"Well, all right," Elizabeth replied. Then she eyed Katherine. "Sorry, Mom," And walked off, leaving Gregory in the kitchen with his arms crossed and staring at his wife.

"Why are you still here?" Katherine asked. "I have a job to do, so you just go about your business."

"No," Gregory shook his head. "Cause if I leave, you're not gonna do what you're supposed to, and it's really important to me that you do. Why do you think you need to tease my mother about her new job? It's not even much different from what she did at the bakery, and you never made fun of her then."

"Well, that's different," Katherine replied. "At the bakery, she was the boss. Now she's not, and she's got some pimple-covered college kid telling her she has to clean toilets. It's just so funny!"

"Oh, but it wouldn't be if you were in her place," Gregory replied. "Now, turn the sink on and get to scrubbing. I mean it."

"Fine, I will," Katherine scowled at her glaring husband. "But I don't see what this will prove and you and I both know we could be doing much more enjoyable things instead."

"I know that," Gregory replied. "And the fact that we aren't is your own fault." He watched as Katherine grudgingly filled the sink with water and, with a wince, began scrubbing all the wet, crusty food from the dishes.

"Not so funny now, is it?" Gregory asked.

Katherine turned her head slightly. "Oh, shut up!" She said. "Just be silent and keep staring at my butt. I know that's what you're doing back there. Don't deny it."

"I'm saying nothing," Gregory replied, even though that had been _exactly_ what he'd been doing. When the dishes were finally done, Katherine turned, smiled at Gregory, and came to kiss him. "All right," she said. "I've done the dishes. I want to do something else now."

"Oh, fine," Gregory replied. He picked her up and carried her off to bed, taking off his shirt, unzipping his pants, stripping off Katherine's clothes, and giving her her reward for doing the dishes.

* * *

"You've been quiet all day," Elijah said as he massaged Selina's back. They were in bed and she looked exhausted. "You haven't told me how your first day on the job went."

"Well, it sucked." Selina replied. "And you're probably really ashamed to be married to a woman who scrubs toilets and gets ordered around by a college kid for a living." She buried her face in her pillow and refused to meet Elijah's eyes.

"There now," he said. "I'm sure it's not as bad as that. What happened?"

"Katherine showed up at the cafe with Elizabeth today just as my boss was telling me to clean the toilets," Selina replied. "Needless to say, I would have preferred not to have her hear that."

"I'm sure you wouldn't have, but don't let Katerina bother you," Elijah said. "She doesn't have a job like you do. She's not willing to work. All she does is spend the monthly allowance I give her and Gregory. You should be proud that you're doing something worthwhile, cause not everyone in your position would be. And no, of course I'm not ashamed to be married to you. Not for any reason. Cause I love you."

Selina sighed and finally looked at him. "You know," she said, "for the longest time, you've wanted me to let you take me to fancy jewelry stores and clothing places, and to all the houses you have full of servants and I've always told you 'No', because I didn't feel I needed that. But now...now I do, so...next time I have a day off, or even this weekend, would you take me somewhere where well dressed people with good manners will do my bidding? Please?"

"It must be horrible at your job if one day of work there has you begging to be spoiled in ways you've never allowed before," Elijah replied.

"Maybe today was just terrible cause Katherine was there," Selina replied. "Maybe it'll be better tomorrow."

"Well, I hope it will be," Elijah replied as he took Selina in his arms. "And if it's not, you can get through it somehow, cause you're a strong woman, and really, you've gotten through much worse things than this, haven't you?"

"Yeah," Selina admitted. "I have." She yawned. "I better get to sleep now so I can be wide awake when I go to work tomorrow."

"Yes," Elijah replied and kissed her forehead. "Sleep well." He turned off the light and put his arms around her, then they both closed their eyes and fell asleep.

* * *

Margaret and Henry were watching TV when they heard the knob of the front door turn. "I hope that's another mouse!" Margaret said. "Otherwise we're in big trouble!"

"Just stay here," Henry said, getting up. "We're going to be fine." He stood by the door and waited, but was surprised when the door was opened and Emily's tired father stood on the other side.

"Hello, Mr. Dickinson," Henry told him. "How are you feeling?"

"It's not as bad as it used to be," Emily's father said. "I came to box up some of Emily's things and...what's happened to all the furniture?"

"Nothing," Henry said quickly, locking eyes with Emily's father. "The furniture is fine. Now, about boxing up Emily's things..."

"How did you get here?" Mr. Dickinson asked.

"I still have the key Emily gave me," Henry replied truthfully. "You want Margaret and me to help you with Emily's things?"

"All right," Emily's father replied. "Thank you." He headed off and Margaret stood up. "Well, this puts a damper on things, doesn't it?"

"Yes," Henry sighed. "It does." At first, he thought that he would zap all of Emily's things to the place where her father was staying and then compel him to leave, but one look at the man's face told Henry that wouldn't be a good idea, no matter how much he and Margaret wanted to be alone. So, although it took a long time, Margaret and Henry helped Emily's father pack up some of her stuff, or at least gave the pretense of doing so. Sensing that something like this would happen, Emily had asked Henry to magic up replicas of all her most important things, so that when her father came for them, he could do with them what he wanted, but Emily would still get to keep the things she liked without making her father suspicious.

Eventually, with tears in his eyes, Emily's father boxed up what he wanted to take to his house, thanked Margaret and Henry for their help, and went on his way.

After her father was gone, Emily, by chance, called Henry. "Has my father come to take my things yet?" She asked.

"Yeah," Henry nodded. "Margaret and I just helped him pack stuff up. He seemed pleased with what we did."

"And he didn't seem suspicious that he was given copies of my things?" Emily asked.

"No, he didn't seem to think anything was amiss," Henry replied. "Our plan ended well."

"Oh, you have no idea how relieved I am to hear that," Emily replied. "I was worried about it all like you wouldn't believe."

"Even though you're on vacation?" Henry asked. "How's that going?"

"There keep being storms," Emily said. "So Tristan and I haven't been able to do much, but we're finding ways to entertain ourselves."

"Well, good," Henry replied. "And things are all right at the house. A few mice have shown up and freaked out Margaret, but other than that, nothing's gone wrong."

"Yeah, it's an old house, so there'll be mice," Emily replied. "I should have warned Margaret about that. Thanks for watching the house, by the way."

"Oh, you're welcome," Henry replied. "You don't have to worry. You left things in good hands. Enjoy your vacation, please."

"All right," Emily promised. "I will. Goodbye." She ended the call, and then Henry turned back to Margaret. "So," he said. "What do you want to do now?"

"Oh, I don't know," Margaret replied. "You know, you and I have never truly explored your powers, have we?"

"Not really," Henry replied. "What would you like me to do with them?"

"Well, I know it's not winter yet, but...part of me wants to run around in the snow," Margaret replied. "Can you do that?"

"We're not supposed to mess with the weather," Henry replied. "That's the bullshit thing about magic. We can do all sorts of stuff with magic, including bringing back the dead and messing with the weather, but because some jerk really fucked things up, we're not allowed to mess with it anymore. Stupid people, ruin everything for everyone."

"Well, all right," Margaret nodded. "So what _can _you do?"

"Are you afraid of heights?" Henry asked.

"No," Margaret shook her head. "Not really."

"All right," Henry replied. He muttered something under his breath, and then zapped himself and Margaret onto the roof of the house. "Do you trust me?" He asked.

"That depends," Margaret replied. "What are we gonna do?"

"I'll show you," Henry replied. "But first, you have to close your eyes."

"All right," Margaret replied. "But I'm starting to get sort of nervous." She felt Henry take her hand and lead her several steps forward. Then, she let out a shriek as she felt nothing but air under her feet. But once she realized that she wasn't falling to her doom, she opened her eyes and gasped at the beauty of the scenery underneath her. "We're flying!" She told Henry. "Oh, my god, we're flying!"

"I thought you'd like it," Henry replied. "Surprised?"

"Yeah," Margaret nodded. "I am. But I'm not scared."

"You shouldn't be," Henry told her as they flew over the neighborhood. "As long as you hold on to me, you're fine."

"That shouldn't be a problem," Margaret replied. "I'm never gonna let you go."


End file.
